Values and ethics enter the real world: A framework for public leadership and governance

 

Die toetrede van waardes en etiek tot die werklikheid: 'n raamwerk vir openbare leierskap en staatsbestuur

 

 

A.M. Sindane

Public Management, University of the Free State, Blomfontein. E-mail: sindanea@ufs.ac.za

 

 

---

ABSTRACT

Indications are that an ethical problem exists regarding the internalisation of norms and values in the public sector. This results in an unacceptable number of public scandals related to malfeasance and it indicates that mechanisms to curb ethical violations are not always effective. All over the world governments experience such ethical violations.
This article argues for a paradigm shift in public leadership and governance. What is required is a framework for the internalisation of values, ethics and norms to accentuate accountability. It is argued that answers to malfeasance do not lie in the ordinary process of education and training to conscientise public leaders about their role and compliance to policies, rules and regulations. Instead the solution is contained in the internalisation of values and ethics of public leadership and governance, and ensuring that these are upheld at all times. There should also be sanctions for unaccountability. Negotiating the reasons for not meeting set goals after the fact is a practice that compromises accountability. It is emphasised that accountability can thrive only in situations wherein values and ethics are rendered practical through public leadership and governance.

Key concepts: accountability, ethics, governance, public leadership, strategy values

---

OPSOMMING

Genoegsame bewyse bestaan dat daar 'n etiese probleem in die openbare sektor is met betrekking tot die internalisering van norme en waardes. Dit het tot gevolg dat 'n onaanvaarbare hoeveelheid openbare skandale in verband met met ampsoortredings voorkom. Dit toon ook aan dat meganismes om etiese oortredings aan bande te lê, nie altyd doeltreffend is nie. Wêreldwyd ervaar regerings soortgelyke etiese oortredings.
Hierdie artikel betoog vir 'n paradigmaskuif in openbare leierskap en staatsbestuur. 'n Strategie vir die internalisering van waardes, etiek en norme word benodig om aanspreeklikheid te beklemtoon. Daar word aangevoer dat antwoorde hiervoor nie te vind is in die gewone proses van onderrig en opleiding waar openbare leiers oor hulle rolle en nakoming van beleide, reëls en regulasies attent gemaak word nie. Dit is meer waarskynlik dat die antwoord lê in die internalisering van waardes en etiek van openbare leierskap en staatsbestuur, en die versekering dat dit te alle tye toegepas word. Daar behoort ook meetbare sanksies in plek te wees in gevalle van onverantwoordbaarheid. Om agterna oor die redes vir die nie-bereiking van doelwitte te onderhandel, is 'n praktyk wat aanspreeklikheid ondermyn. Daar word verder beklemtoon dat aanspreeklikheid slegs kan floreer wanneer waardes en etiek deur openbare leierskap en staatsbestuur prakties uitgeleef word.

Kernbegrippe: aanspreeklikheid, etiek, openbare, leierskap, staatsbestuur, strategieë waardes

---

 

 

Full text available only in PDF format.

 

 

List of references

AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS. 2009. Manifesto policy framework: working together we can do more. www.anc.org.za/docs/anctoday Date of access: 11 Jun. 2011.         [ Links ]

ANON. 1995. The economics of the sea. The Economist: 74-75, March. http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/castro/ref.html Date of access: 11 Jun. 2012.         [ Links ]

BARTOL, K.M. & MARTIN, D.C. 1991. Management. New York: McGraw-Hill.         [ Links ]

BHENGU, M.J. 1996. Ubuntu: the essence of democracy. Cape Town: Novalis.         [ Links ]

BOWMAN, J.S. 1991. Ethical frontiers in public management. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.         [ Links ]

BROOKS, S. 2008. The public leadership challenge: full research report ESRC. (Seminar series. End of Award Report, RES-451-25-4273, Swindon ESRC.         [ Links ])

CONGER, J.A. 1989. The charismatic leader: behind the mystique of exceptional leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.         [ Links ]

CONGER, J.A. 2004. Developing leadership capability: what is inside the black box? Academy of management executives, 18(3):136-139.         [ Links ]

CRAINER, S., ed. 1995. Handbook of management. London: Pitman.         [ Links ]

DE GRUCHY, J.W. & PROZENSKY, M., eds. 1991. A South African guide to world religions. Cape Town: David Phillips.         [ Links ]

DRUCKER, P.F. 1994. The new realities. London: Butterworth Heinemann.         [ Links ]

FARAZMAND, A. & PINKOWSKI, J., eds. 2007. Handbook of globalization, governance and public administration. Boca Raton: Taylor & Francis.         [ Links ]

GILDENHUYS, J.S.H. & KNIPE, A. 2000. The organisation of government: an introduction. Pretoria: Van Schaik.         [ Links ]

HART, P. & UHR, J., eds. 2008. Public leadership: perspectives and practices. Camera: Australia & New Zealand School of Governance.         [ Links ]

HAWLEY, C.E. & WEINTRAUB, R. 1966. Administrative questions and political answers. New York: Van Nostrand.         [ Links ]

HEATH, M. 2010. Leadership secrets: the experts tell all! London: Harper Collins.         [ Links ]

HESS, E.D. & CAMERON, K.S., eds. 2006. Leading with values: positivity, virtue, and high performance. UK/Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.         [ Links ]

HUBERTS, L.W.J.C., MAESSCHALCK, J. & JURKIEWICZ, C.L. 2008. Ethics and integrity of governance: perspectives across frontiers. London: Edward Edgar.         [ Links ]

JOHNSON, C.E. 2001. Meeting the ethical challenges of leadership. London: Sage.         [ Links ]

KAMOCHE, K., DEBRAH, Y., HORWITZ, F. & MUUKA, G.N., eds. 2004. Managing human resources in Africa. London: Routledge.         [ Links ]

KAMWANGAMALU, N.M. 1999. Ubuntu in South Africa: a sociolinguistic perspective to a Pan-African concept. Critical arts, 13(2):24-37.         [ Links ]

KERNAGHAN, K., MARSON, B. & BORINS, S. 2000. The new public organization. Toronto: Institute of Public Administration of Canada.         [ Links ]

KWAKU, A-D. 2007. What is good governance? The Mail & Guardian: 25-31, May. http://www.mg..co.za./articlePage.aspx?artcleid=32356&area=/insight/insightAfrica/ Date of access: 11 Jun. 2012.         [ Links ]

LEWIS, C.W. 1991.The ethics challenge in public services. California: Jossey-Bass        [ Links ]

LOUW, L.L. 1995. Ubuntu: applying African philosophy to diversity training. New York: McGraw-Hill.         [ Links ]

MAXWELL, J.C. 2004. The 4 pillars of leadership. Cape Town: Struik Christian Books.         [ Links ]

MBIGI, L. 2000. In search of the African business renaissance: an African cultural perspective. Randburg: Knowledge Resource.         [ Links ]

MBIGI, L. & MAREE, J. 1995. Ubuntu. Johannesburg: Knowledge Resource.         [ Links ]

MOORE, M. 1995. Creating public value: strategic management in government. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.         [ Links ]

OEDCE see OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY OF CURRENT ENGLISH        [ Links ]

OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY OF CURRENT ENGLISH. 1996. New Delhi: Oxford University Press.         [ Links ]

PARTNERS FOR DEMOCRATIC CHANGE. s.a. Accountable Governance. www.partnersglobal.org/waht/accountable-governace Date of access: 18 Jun. 2012.         [ Links ]

PASTOR, J.C. 1998. The social construction of leadership: a semantic and social network analysis of social representation of leadership. Buffalo: State University of New York.         [ Links ]

RAFFEL, J.A., LEISINK, P. & MIDDLEBROOKS, A.E., eds. 2009. Public sector leadership: international challenges and perspectives. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.         [ Links ]

RAMPHELE, M. 2010. Multiple voices are the oxygen of democracy. Sunday Times review: 9, 4 Aug.         [ Links ]

REYNOLDS, S. 1977. The Christian tradition. California: Dickenson.         [ Links ]

RICHARDSON, P. 2008. Good governance: the challenge of leadership in Africa. Paper presented at the Nigerian Institute of Management and Association of Management Organizations in Africa (AMOA).         [ Links ]

ROBINSON, D. & GARAATT, C. 2008. Introducing ethics: a graphic guide. London: Icon Books.         [ Links ]

ROSENBLOOM, D.H. 1993. Public aministration: understanding management, politics and law in the public sector. 3rd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.         [ Links ]

ROSENBLOOM, D.H., GOLDMAN, D.D. & INGRAHAM, P.W. 1994. Contemporary public administration. New York: McGraw-Hill.         [ Links ]

SAULE, N. 2000. Ubuntu was? Paper presented at the Seminar of Africa Studies Forum at UNISA in Pretoria. (Unpublished.         [ Links ])

SINDANE, A.M. 1999. Theoretical principles of ethics in the management of human resources in the South African public sector. Bloemfontein: University of the Free State. (Unpublished Masters Dissertation.         [ Links ])

SING, D. 1999. Governance perspective of public administration. Administratio Publica, 9(2):87-105.         [ Links ]

SOUTH AFRICA. 1996. Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, Act 108 of 1996. Pretoria: Government Printer.         [ Links ]

SOUTH AFRICA. 1997. White paper on Transforming Public Service Delivery. Pretoria: Government Printer.         [ Links ]

THOMPSON, M. 2006. Teach yourself ethics. 4th ed. London: McGraw-Hill.         [ Links ]

VOCINO, T. & RABIN, J. 1981. Contemporary public administration. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.         [ Links ]

WORLD BANK. 1994a. Arriving at a common understanding of "Governance". http://web.worldbank.org Date of access: 10 Jun. 2011; www.gdrc.org/u-gov/escape-governance.htm Date of access: 10 Jun. 2011.         [ Links ]

WORLD BANK. 1994b. Arriving at a common understanding of "Governance". www.gdrc.org/u-gov/escape-governance.htm Date of access: 10 Jun. 2011.         [ Links ]