Thomas D. Lynch

Corruption, Reform, and Virtue Ethics

Books reviewed in this article: Gerald E. Caiden, O.P. Dwivedi, and Joseph Jabbra (eds.), Where Corruption Lies Susan Rose-Ackerman, Corruption and Government: Causes, Consequences, and Reform Peter Kobrak, Cozy Politics: Political Parties, Campaign Finance, and Compromised Governance Raymond J. Devettere, Introduction to Virtue Ethics: Insights of the Ancient Greeks

Productivity and the Moral Manager

In this article, the authors argue that there is a positive relationship between productivity and morality in public-sector organizations. If there are ethical problems such as corruption in such organizations, the administrative answer typically is added rules, more complex procedures, and greater sanctions. In other words, we increase organizational red tape to confront our ethical problems rather than address the real problem directly. Using a systems modeling approach informed by Kohlberg’s moral development theory and Friedrich’s view of “inner controls,” we suggest (a) a more direct method to assess the level of ethical development in organizations and (b) a technique by which to improve public-sector organization productivity that places greater emphasis on individual morality rather than on more administrative controls.

Spiritual wisdom and public administration: Are they compatible?

This article argues for the use of spiritual wisdom in the profession of public administration. Given the problems emerging from the information age, this article projects some likely challenges of the new millennium and recommends that we should use all the wisdom available to humankind including the common spiritual wisdom found the primary literature of all the religious traditions. This article argues a fundamental shift has occurred in the paradigm that is needed to guide our actions in the twenty-first century. Fortunately, the existing spiritual wisdom can help us more intelligently meet those challenges especially in the area of ethic

Cash management practices in Louisiana municipalities

In this paper, we examine the cash management practices in the State of Louisiana and contrasted those practices with the rate of return on investment income due to cash management practices. Essentially, we framed various model hypotheses from the literature, which tells us that if those practices exist then we should see an increased rate of return due to cash management. In general, our research supported the literature but there were some interesting exceptions that merit attention.

IS A GLOBAL ETHICS POSSIBLE

This article addresses the question: Is a global ethics possible? The authors suggest developing a global ethics is a subject of critical importance to the practice of public administration. Ethics is important in public administration, especially at the international level. However the form and pace of globalization—rapidly changing the very nature of work in both the public and private sectors—are removing many familiar organizational, regional and even cultural norms and ethics. Considering the world’s diversity, is it even logical to assume that a universally accepted global ethics is possible? The authors propose that it is both logical and possible. The article first summarizes the ideas of the most noted scholar on global ethic—Hans Kung. It next presents an abbreviated explanation of the common spiritual wisdom literature, which is built on the five largest religious traditions. The article then applies the Kung criteria set to the spiritual wisdom literature and concludes that it is a viable candidate for being considered a universal global ethics.

Public virtual organizations

This article argues that the virtual organization model (also called web-enterprises by the former U.S. Secretary of Labor, Robert Reich in The Work of Nations) can meet the challenge for our new age. This model is already in place in the U.S. federal government in the form of Cooperative Administrative Support Units (CASU’s). These organizations bear a close resemblance to Reichs model and have documented significant successes. The article also argues that the implications and applications of the CASU in public administration are far reaching. This creative and innovative approach to responsible government warrants expanded use into new and diverse areas. Organizational designers should not restrict its use simply to rote administrative activities. This article draws heavily from the work of former Secretary Reich and Warren Master, Director of the National CASU Program in the U.S. General Services Administration. Both provide new paths of possibilities for administrators. Their leadership forges new and often brighter expectations for future organizational performance.

Public Sector Value and Virtue and the OECD

The values and virtues of a society are imbedded and communicated through the words and actions of its organizations and institutions. When these organizations and institutions are global in nature and government related, they have enormous scope and influence over all people. This chapter is about the values and virtues established by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Between its member states and non-member states, the OECD has influence over 100 nations.

Handbook of Organization Theory and Management : The Philosophical Approach, Second Edition

Introduction. Premodern. Modernist Defined. Early Loyal Opposition to the Modernist. American Modernist Influence. Later Modernist Opposition. Rise of Postmodernism. Postmodern Alternative.

The Economics of Public Administration

In reviewing these books, I noticed the remarkable influence of economics on public administration during the past two decades, which is particularly evident in the subfield of public budgeting. In fact, in discussing public budgeting, today I normally hear the termpublic finance, indicating economics used in connection with public budgeting, rather than the term public financial management, indicating public management. Increasingly, professors who teach public budgeting have degrees in economics commonly combined with a public policy or public administration. In the not-too-distant past, this was not the case. Pro fessors who taught public budgeting had a political science academic back ground with little or no knowledge of economics. Today, economics is a manda tory background for anyone teaching this subject. Of the three books reviewed, the André Blais and Stephane Dion book dem onstrates how economics influences public administration theory. The BudgetMaximizing Bureaucrat: Appraisals and Evidence is a must-read book because it clearly discusses the organization theory of William A. Niskanen (1971), who wrote Bureaucracy and Representative Government . I lauding Niskanen (1971), some say his book is “the most significant work yet produced by an economist on the role of bureaucracy” and that the book should “attain the status of a classic in the study of bureaucracy” (Mitchell, 1974, p. 1775). Indeed, Niskanen’s (1971) book is the most cited study on this subject (Bendor, 1988).

SPirituality and dialogue

This article serves as an introduction to this symposium on spirituality and Dialogue. The purpose of the symposium is to explore if spirituality and dialogue have a place in public administration. A brief description of the six articles in the symposium is given. Finally, this introduction presents various complementary themes that the reader can find in the symposium as a whole. In brief, this introduction argues that the twenty-first century will be noted for its decentralization that is prompted by the information age. These phenomena will require a much higher ethical level in public administration than has existed in the past. The current approaches to bureaucracy, religiosity, modernism, and postmodernism are dysfunctional to that need. In contrast, spirituality and dialogue are functional to lifting public administration to a higher ethical plateau. A one-day discussion between members of the American Society for Public Administration and the Global Dialogue Institute held in May 1997 in Philadelphia prompted this symposium and a later symposium that will appear in this journal. The purpose of that This article serves as an introduction to this symposium on spirituality and Dialogue. The purpose of the symposium is to explore if spirituality and dialogue have a place in public administration. A brief description of the six articles in the symposium is given. Finally, this introduction presents various complementary themes that the reader can find in the symposium as a whole. In brief, this introduction argues that the twenty-first century will be noted for its decentralization that is prompted by the information age. These phenomena will require a much higher ethical level in public administration than has existed in the past. The current approaches to bureaucracy, religiosity, modernism, and postmodernism are dysfunctional to that need. In contrast, spirituality and dialogue are functional to lifting public administration to a higher ethical plateau. A one-day discussion between members of the American Society for Public Administration and the Global Dialogue Institute held in May 1997 in Philadelphia prompted this symposium and a later symposium that will appear in this journal. The purpose of that meeting was to explore the viability of spirituality and dialogue to the field of public administration. Although interrelated, this symposium primarily deals with the topic of spirituality and a subsequent symposium shall deal primarily with dialogue. Both topics have extreme importance to the development of public adminis-tration as it moves into the twenty-first century. This introduction to the symposium shall proceed by first discussing the symposium in general, then provide a quick overview of each article, and end with some concluding observations that should help the readers as they proceed with the symposium.