L.W.J.C. Huberts

Value solidity in government and business: Results of an empirical study on public and private sector organizational values

This article reports on a survey study of 382 managers from a variety of public and private sector organizations, on the values that guide sectoral decision making. Just as some important classical differences emerge, a number of similarities between the public and private sector appear to result in a set of common core organizational values. Furthermore, the data support neither increasing adoption of business values in public sector organizations nor flirtation with public values by business sector managers. This contradicts expectations in the literature on new public management and corporate social responsibility, suggesting public—private value intermixing. Value solidity seems the dominant feature in both sectors. Additional analysis shows that “publicness,” the extent to which an organization belongs to the public or the private sector— rather than age, gender, years of service or a past in the other sector—strongly determines value preferences.

A study of the impact of three leadership styles on integrity violations committed by police officers

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the connection between three aspects of leadership – role modeling, strictness, and openness – and nine types of integrity violations within the Dutch police force.Design/methodology/approach – In this paper data were collected by means of a questionnaire from five regional police organizations in The Netherlands (2,130 questionnaires to regular police officers, response rate 51 percent). Respondents were requested to describe their direct supervisors leadership qualities and the frequency of integrity violations in their unit. Multivariate analysis techniques were employed to test the relation between the three leadership styles and the nine types of integrity violations.Findings – The paper finds that role modeling, strictness, and openness of leaders influence the behavior of police officers, but the impact of the variables on the different types of integrity violations varies. Role modeling is especially significant in limiting unethical conduct in th...

Demonstrating ethical leadership by measuring ethics

Managers need information to manage the ethics of their organizations. This article proposes that periodic surveys examining organizational ethics can be used to obtain this information. It presents the design and results of a study of U.S. public servants that demonstrates the value of surveys as an instrument to support effective ethical leadership. Surveys can reveal the extent and possible consequences of unethical behavior in organizations and illuminate the characteristics of ethical leadership. A brief agenda for further research is provided.

What Can Be Done Against Public Corruption and Fraud. Expert Views on Strategies to Protect Public Integrity

A number of questions dominate the debate about public corruption and fraud. First of all, of course, there is the question of the content of these phenomena. What is corruption, what is fraud and how is it related to power abuse and public waste? Some scholars stress that these questions are unanswerable if ethnocentrism is to be avoided. Others are more positive about the possibility to grasp the central meaning of the concepts. A second type of questions has to do with understanding public corruption and fraud. To define a concept is something; to understand it is something different. Understanding means knowing the causes and consequences. To be able to understand it, corruption should be given a place in the framework of knowledge about public structure, culture and behavior. This is all but a simple endeavor because it will make a difference which theoretical and methodological framework is chosen as a starting point. This article seeks to avoid this obstacle by choosing an approach which could be categorized as pragmatic and eclectic, trying to discover whether there are causes which are seen as important by a variety of experts with different academical and occupational backgrounds: is there a common core present in different approaches? Third, there is the normative debate. What are the positive and negative consequences of corruption and fraud and how can cost and benefits be compared and judged? Nowadays, most scholars and practitioners in the field stress the negative consequences of public corruption and fraud. Such a critical attitude almost automatically leads to a fourth type of debate, about the question “what to do about it?”. Which methods and strategies are thinkable and what works? This subject is the central one in this article.

How to measure integrity violations. Towards a validated typology of unethical behavior

Abstract To develop governance that is both effective and ethical, scholars study the causes and effects of unethical behavior as well as the policies and systems that thwart such behavior. However, there is much inconsistency and incoherence in the demarcation of different types of unethical behaviors. To enable conceptual clarity and improved measurement we present here a validated typology of unethical behaviors – that is, integrity violations. Differentiating between such types of violations not only reveals insightful variation in the frequency and acceptability of these violations but also shows how leadership styles and organizational culture have varying effects on these different unethical behaviors.

Coping With Public Value Conflicts

Good governance involves managing conflicting values, leading to the main research question, which consists of three parts: Which public value profiles do public administrators have, which value conflicts do they experience, and which coping strategies are used? Here, previous literature on public value conflicts is discussed first and linked to the literature on street-level bureaucrats and on coping strategies. Then two case studies are presented: a municipality and a hospital. The findings show six different value clusters that administrators adhere to and clarify which value conflicts are typically experienced in various public sector organizations and which different coping mechanisms are used.

The changing “soul” of Dutch policing: Responses to new security demands and the relationship with Dutch tradition

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to address the changing organization and culture of the Dutch police over the last decade.Design/methodology/approach – Drawing on personal observation, desk research and a survey among the police and administrative elite in The Netherlands, the paper describes, analyzes and reflects upon developments which are out of tune with the Dutch tradition.Findings – From the 1960s onwards, The Netherlands was famous for her pragmatic, decentralized and friendly style of community policing. The slogan “the police are your best friend” summarizes the “essence” or the “soul” of Dutch policing. Increasingly, however, the typically tolerant, friendly and social policing style has come under pressure. The system of relatively independent regional police departments has been fiercely criticized because of the lack of effectiveness and efficiency in solving crime, safety and security challenges. National government now wants a much bigger say in setting its police programs and prior...

LOCAL INTEGRITY SYSTEMS Towards a framework for comparative analysis and assessment

A local integrity system encompasses all the policies, practices, and integrity institutions that are meant to contribute to the rectitude of a local government. Little research has been carried out on such systems, as compared to national integrity systems, even though the performance of municipalities in terms of good governance is important for how citizens perceive government more generally. This article proposes a framework, developed inductively from a study of seven cities around the world, that may be used in research and policy evaluation. It concludes with an agenda for further investigation, theory, and policy development.

Is the glass half full or half empty? Perceptions of the scale and nature of corruption in the Netherlands

Abstract This paper summarises the empirical results of a study on the scale, nature and outcome of corruption cases in The Netherlands. It turns out that the number of convictions for corruption offences in The Netherlands has remained very stable in recent decades. Research into the nature of corruption leads to the conclusion that civil servants who are found to be susceptible to corruption tend not to be low-profile officials, but rather personalities with a reputation in the civil service organisation for being noticeable, colourful and astute ‘fixers’. They frequently possess or demand the freedom to arrange matters on their own and are known as thorough and enterprising people. The research material further shows that the briber and the bribed usually know each other well before the violation of integrity occurs. This is not confined to business or instrumental relationships, because an element of friendship or affection is regularly involved. Something that plays a role in this setting is that trust is pivotal to prolonged corruption relationships. Research into the outcome of corruption cases leads to the conclusion that criminal prosecutions, once instituted, result, in nine out of ten instances, in a criminal conviction. Although suspects are sometimes acquitted on certain counts, complete acquittals are rare. The punishment most frequently handed down is a community service order. Combinations with other punishments occur regularly, with a custodial sentence or fine often being suspended. An average of five civil servants and three bribers actually end up behind bars each year.

Anticorruption strategies: The Hong Kong Model in international context

Abstract Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) often serves as an example and a model for an effective national anticorruption institution. It is characterized by its independence; its involvement in the public as well as the private sector; its combination of investigation, prevention, and education; and its resources. What can other countries learn from the ICAC? Expert panel data show that different countries can learn different lessons from the experiences of ICAC. No model is easily transferable; it is necessary to relate anticorruption strategies to characteristics of the countries or systems involved. For developing countries, the independence of institutions and the nonfinancial resources invested in the anticorruption struggle seem crucial. Higher-income countries can learn from ICACs involvement in the public and private sector and the strengthening of prevention strategies.