USV Annals of Economics and Public Administration (Jun 2022)
INSTITUTIONALISING ETHICS IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN PUBLIC SECTOR
Abstract
This article explores ethics management approaches for institutionalising ethics in the South African public sector and presents a case for a value-based integrity approach to the institutionalisation of ethics in public sector organisational contexts. Qualitative thematic analysis based on documentary sources were utilised to theoretically and conceptually analyse how ethical practices could best be institutionalised and to explore approaches that could be used in the South African public sector. Institutionalising ethics can promote the embedding of ethical values, accountability, integrity, and administrative responsibility. The article theoretically and conceptually analyses and examines institutionalisation of ethics through the lenses of neo-institutional theory and social constructivism. Neoinstitutionalism unravels the processes and structures for ethical meaning in public sector organisations, rather than simply their ethical value. The paper argues that compliance-based accountability measures fall short of institutionalising ethics. Rule-based controls which seek to enforce compliance, are often insufficient in activating a responsible approach to ethical conduct in public administration. The article concludes that, if ethics are to be institutionalised in South African public sector organisations; ethical values, ethical principles, steward and servant leadership, stewardship-based trust, ethics management and ethics education and training must be embedded into institutional ethical cultures rooted in a value-based integrity approach and complemented with rule-based compliance approaches.
