Abstract

This dissertation considers that many organizational and personal variables and/or competing values influence decision making dynamics and ethical actions in public service. Public servants need to know how to do the "right thing" when there are opportunities for discretionary action. ;How can a public employee evaluate the proper course of action to take in a given situation? Can there be a "right" way and a "wrong" way to deal with unclear situations? Can a public agency define, organizationally and professionally, what a proper course of action should be? These are the general questions that will be addressed and clarified in this project. ;These questions are important because ethical decision making is an integral part of public administration. Since public employees have discretionary authority, they need to know how to deal with competing values. Reacting properly in public service is paramount. Public administration involves individual values as well as the values of the public agency, its political leadership, their constituents and basic democratic regime values. All of these variables must be considered when making ethical decisions. ;Public agencies that promote and implement ethics training programs and establish ethics codes, boards and oaths of employment are better prepared to deal with issues of right and wrong. ;A specific Case Study is used to analyze the ramifications of an ethical dilemma in a local government setting. This Case Study is reviewed under the backdrop of a comprehensive literature review. The literature review considers organizational climate, the history of public administration in the United States, a summary of the contemporary nature of public service, public administration responsibility, contemporary ethics training programs and the institutionalization of ethics codes, boards and oaths of employment. ;The Case Study ethical dilemma is divided into constituent parts to explain the pervasive nature of public administration decision making dynamics. The extant organization climate is identified to show how the dilemma developed and how it was subsequently resolved relative to effectiveness and efficiency criteria. An ethical dilemma impact analysis matrix is created to diagram how extant climatic conditions, when found to be deficient in promoting ethical knowledge, understanding and reasoning ability, can become enhanced through proper training programs. It is determined that ethically enhanced organizational environments will lead to more effective and efficient conflict resolution. ;The results of this project are that ethics is integral to public service. Ethics programs should be incorporated into the routine operations of the public agency. Public officials, administrators and employees must be trained to know how to react properly to situations that may be subject to interpretation and/or competing values. Finally, this project outlines a comprehensive process that can move ethics from the realm "easier said than done" to "easier done."