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Cited by 162Ethics in Business and EducationPublic Policy and Administration ResearchAdministrative Law and Governance

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 2 of the 2 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

What Determines Ethical Behavior in Public Organizations: Is It Rules or Leadership?

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Downe, James, Cowell, Richard, Morgan, Karen·2016·Public Administration Review
DOI 10.1111/puar.12562
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Abstract

Leadership is widely seen as having an important role in fostering ethical conduct in organizations, but the ways in which the actions of leaders intersect with formal ethics regulation in shaping conduct have been little researched. This article examines this issue through a qualitative study of the operation of the “ethical framework” for English local government, which entailed all councils adopting a code of conduct to regulate the behavior of local politicians. Studying local government provides an opportunity to examine how personal and managerial factors combine to influence ethical conduct and to analyze the ways in which ethical leadership is exercised through multiple people in leadership roles (politicians and managers). The article finds that organizations that exhibit consistently good conduct have multiple leaders who demonstrate good conduct but also act to preempt the escalation of problems and thereby minimize the explicit use of ethics regulation.

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Cites

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Metadata

Authors
Downe, J., Cowell, R., & Morgan, K.
Affiliations
  • Cardiff University (GB)
  • University of Bristol (GB)
ORCID
Venue
Public Administration Review
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2016-05-12
Volume
76
Issue
6
Pages
898-909
ISSN
  • 0033-3352 (ISSN-L)
  • 1540-6210
DOI
10.1111/puar.12562
OpenAlex
W2358132516
Cited by
162
References
2
Citations by year
2026: 10 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 24 · 2023: 26 · 2022: 15 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 21 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 2
FWCI
23.32
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Public Administration Review (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • ORCA Online Research @Cardiff (Cardiff University) (acceptedVersion)
  • ORCA Online Research @Cardiff (Cardiff University) (submittedVersion)
  • Bristol Research (University of Bristol) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Ethics in Business and Education
  • Social Sciences › Public Administration › Public Policy and Administration Research
  • Social Sciences › Law › Administrative Law and Governance
Keywords
moral behavior, ethical leadership, local government, codes of conduct, ethical regulation, local politicians, public sector ethics, organizational leadership, multiple leaders, English local government

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