O’Kelly, Ciarán and Melvin J. Dubnick, “The Power Of Administrative Ethics: Moving Beyond Moralism And Instrumentalism.” Prepared for presentation at the 34th EGPA/IIAS Annual Conference, PSG VII : Ethics and Integrity of Governance, Bergen, Norway, 5-8 September 2012.
Abstract:
This paper makes the case for an approach to administrative ethics that regards it as a form of political power within contexts of organization and organizational change (reform). After articulating the logic of this perspective, it is applied to two cases of reform (No Child Left Behind in the US and National Health Service reform in the UK) where reformers have used the power of metrics and high-stakes accountability to force change — and in the process have altered the respective ethical landscapes.
AI-Generated Summary:
This document explores the interplay between moralist and instrumentalist traditions in administrative ethics and how ethical frameworks influence organizational governance and reform.
Contrasting Traditions in Administrative Ethics
- The moralist tradition applies moral principles to officials’ conduct, emphasizing ethical standards.
- The instrumentalist tradition views ethics as a tool for managing dilemmas and organizational functionality.
Interplay of Moralism and Instrumentalism
- Both traditions influence administrative life, blending normative concerns with practical problem-solving.
- The authors focus on how ethics shape institutional purpose and power, rather than guiding individual behavior.
Moral Personhood in Organizational Contexts
- Moral identity is shaped by specific dilemmas and relationships within institutions.
- Moral agency is learned through interaction, not innate, and institutions aim to influence moral development.
Power and Ethics as Governance Tools
- Ethics serve as mechanisms of governing, rooted in political stances and the exercise of power.
- Power is broadly defined as the capacity to influence others’ actions, including coercion, persuasion, and nudging.
Role of Metrics and Measures
- Metrics are communicative devices that shape organizational purpose and moral standards.
- Measurement practices are educative, normalizing activities and aligning individual dispositions with institutional goals.
Thick and Thin Moral Standpoints
- Thick ethics involve specific relationships and commitments; thin ethics rely on abstract principles like justice.
- Organizational life balances these standpoints, with reform efforts often aiming to shift between them.
Accountability and Moral Standards
- Accountability involves promises and enforcement mechanisms that legitimize organizational claims.
- Metrics and standards define what is expected, shaping moral identities and organizational conduct.
Institutional Technologies and Moral Communication
- Institutional processes communicate moral vocabularies through promotion, surveillance, and social regulation.
- These technologies influence moral selfhood and the distribution of organizational resources.
Organizational Life Between Thick and Thin
- Organizations operate along a spectrum from internally validated relationships to externally imposed standards.
- Change agents seek to redefine organizational goals by emphasizing either thick or thin perspectives.
Summary
- Administrative ethics blend moral principles with organizational functionality, shaping power and governance.
- Metrics and measures serve as educative tools that normalize activities and influence moral identities.
- Thick and thin standpoints represent contrasting moral relations, with organizational reform often navigating between them.
- Accountability mechanisms legitimize organizational claims and shape moral and operational standards.
Concept of Accountability in Organizations
- Accountability is more than a technological tool; it reflects ongoing efforts to define, control, and sustain organizational goals.
- It shapes expectations on how work should be performed, influencing individual and team behavior within institutional norms.
Moral and Normative Dimensions of Accountability
- Accountability spaces are highly moral, defined by ideas of the good, and are not morally neutral.
- Normative ideals are reinforced through discipline, giving institutional ends legitimacy beyond individual moral intelligence.
Thick and Thin Norms in Institutional Practice
- Accountability links institutional ends, role morality, and mechanisms of praise or blame, shaping organizational behavior.
- The thick-thin axis influences how organizations conceive constraints and justify power structures, impacting normative conflicts.
Power and Ethical Struggles in Public Administration
- The core tension lies in controlling the normative architecture, where power determines how organizations define and enforce conduct.
- Studying administrative ethics involves understanding how power shapes notions of good conduct and organizational legitimacy.
Case Study 1: No Child Left Behind (NCLB)
- NCLB expanded federal role in education, heavily relying on high-stakes metrics to measure success.
- Teachers initially embraced accountability reforms but faced demoralization and identity challenges due to punitive testing regimes.
Impact of Metrics in Education Reform
- High-stakes testing, especially in Texas, linked performance to sanctions and rewards, transforming teacher and school evaluation.
- Teachers experienced a shift from professional autonomy to compliance, with many feeling their professionalism was undermined.
Ethical Tensions in Education Reforms
- Teachers faced choices of exit, voice, or loyalty amid reforms, affecting their professional identity and organizational ties.
- Reforms altered the ethical landscape, emphasizing compliance over professional virtues, leading to resistance and adaptation.
Case Study 2: NHS Market-Oriented Reforms
- NHS reforms aimed to introduce market principles, emphasizing efficiency, competition, and consumer-like relationships.
- Reforms shifted focus from centralized control to local expertise, promoting patient choice and clinician independence.
Marketization and Administrative Ethics
- The NHS reform strategy relies on market forces to replace traditional administrative oversight, assuming local groups as autonomous agents.
- This approach assumes that market competition will foster efficiency, with less reliance on traditional ethical frameworks.
Power and Norms in Healthcare Reforms
- Reforms seek to tame professional groups through independence, framing them as responsible agents within a regime of self-regulation.
- The shift towards market logic tends to reinforce administrative ethics centered on performance, efficiency, and stakeholder accountability.
Overall Dynamics of Thick and Thin Norms
- Reforms tend to favor thin, metric-based standards over thick, relationship-based ethics.
- The invocation of ethics often serves to reinforce power structures, with organizational change driven by technocratic and market-based rationales.
Conclusion: Ethical Politics and Power in Administration
- Administrative ethics are intertwined with power, serving as tools for maintaining or challenging organizational status quo.
- The ongoing tension between thick and thin norms reflects deeper political struggles over organizational purpose and legitimacy.