Week 9 Assignment 3 - Submit Here Students Please View

Week 9 Assignment 3 - Submit Here Students, please view the

In this assignment, you will explore how ethical behaviors can impact the issue you selected in Assignment 1. Write a four to five (4-5) page paper in which you:

1. Propose two (2) ethical concerns that management may need to address related to the issue you selected in Assignment 1. Provide a rationale for your response.

2. Analyze the overall manner in which organizational structure impacts organizational ethics. Select one (1) public agency or one (1) non-profit organization in which the ethical concerns related to the issue you selected may not be considered unethical. Provide a rationale for your response.

3. Use the Inventory of Public Management Skills Management, located on pages 11 to 12 of the textbook, to construct a self-evaluation. Assess your level of development in each of the skills. Discuss two to three (2-3) activities that would affect your ability as a leader to address the ethical concerns discussed in Question 1.

4. Based on the response in Question 3, discuss two to three (2-3) strategies you will implement to become an effective public administrator.

5. Include at least four (4) peer-reviewed references (no more than five [5] years old) from material outside the textbook. Note: Appropriate peer-reviewed references include scholarly articles and governmental websites. Wikipedia, wikis, and other non-academic websites ending in anything other than “.gov” do not qualify as academic resources. Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements: be typed, double-spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.

Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

Paper For Above instruction

Introduction

Ethics in public administration play a vital role in shaping effective, transparent, and accountable governance. Decisions made by public managers can influence public trust, policy effectiveness, and organizational integrity. When analyzing ethical concerns related to specific issues, it is essential to understand the potential dilemmas, organizational impact, and personal leadership development needed to navigate complex ethical landscapes.

Ethical Concerns and Rationales

Regarding the selected issue in Assignment 1, two primary ethical concerns emerge. First, the issue of transparency and honesty is fundamental. Public managers are often faced with dilemmas where withholding information or manipulating data could serve political or organizational interests at the expense of public trust (Bozeman & Feeney, 2014). For instance, in the context of budget allocations or policy implementations, ethical concerns about how information is disclosed and whether stakeholders are fully informed can significantly impact organizational legitimacy.

Second, the concern of fairness and equity arises when resource allocation or service provision favors certain groups over others. Ethical management necessitates equal treatment and non-discrimination, especially within diverse communities (Kraemer, 2019). Failure to address biases or unequal access can compromise ethical standards, undermine public confidence, and violate principles of social justice.

Organizational Structure and Ethics

Organizational structure profoundly impacts how ethics are maintained or challenged within public agencies and non-profits. A hierarchical or bureaucratic structure can promote clarity in roles and accountability, fostering ethical behavior through clear lines of responsibility (Denhardt & Denhardt, 2015). Conversely, decentralized or loosely coordinated structures might lack oversight, increasing the risk of unethical behavior due to insufficient monitoring.

I select the Social Security Administration (SSA) as an example where organizational structure supports ethical behavior. SSA’s structured hierarchy with defined roles and strict compliance protocols helps ensure transparency and accountability in disbursing benefits, thus mitigating ethical issues concerning fraud or mismanagement. The rationale behind this is that clear administrative procedures and oversight mechanisms enhance integrity, even under complex operational demands (U.S. Government Accountability Office, 2020).

Self-Assessment of Public Management Skills

Using the Inventory of Public Management Skills (pp. 11-12), I evaluate my proficiency across key competencies. In communication skills, I assess myself as moderately developed, recognizing the need to enhance my ability to convey complex ethical issues effectively. Critical thinking and decision-making skills are areas of strength, as I am comfortable analyzing situations and weighing ethical considerations.

Leadership and interpersonal skills are areas for growth. To improve, I would undertake activities such as participating in leadership development programs and engaging in community outreach to better understand diverse perspectives. Specifically, engaging in conflict resolution workshops and ethical decision-making scenarios would bolster my capacity to lead ethically and influence others positively.

Strategies for Effective Public Administration

Based on my self-assessment, I will implement several strategies. First, I plan to pursue continuous professional development through workshops on ethics and leadership in public administration (Light & Pepper, 2018). Second, I aim to foster open communication by establishing forums within my organization to discuss ethical challenges transparently. Third, I will prioritize mentorship, seeking guidance from experienced public administrators to refine my decision-making approaches under ethical dilemmas.

Conclusion

Addressing ethical concerns in public management requires a nuanced understanding of organizational structures, individual competencies, and strategic development. By systematically analyzing ethical issues, evaluating personal skills, and implementing targeted strategies, public administrators can uphold integrity and foster organizational cultures grounded in ethical principles. These efforts are vital to maintaining public trust and ensuring effective governance.

References

• Bozeman, B., & Feeney, M. K. (2014). Public values and public interest: Counterbalancing economic individualism. Routledge.
• Denhardt, R. B., & Denhardt, J. V. (2015). The new public service: Serving rather than steering. Routledge.
• Kraemer, L. (2019). Administrative ethics: Developing the ethical decision-making capacity of public administrators. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 29(1), 124–139.
• Light, P. C., & Pepper, M. P. (2018). The ethics of public leadership. Routledge.
• U.S. Government Accountability Office. (2020). Federal Employee Benefits: Oversight of the Social Security Administration’s Management of Retirement Benefits. GAO-20-123.