Strategic Management Unit 4DB Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Strategic Management Unit 4DB - Essay Example the company is committed to contribute to waste reduction, resource preservation, efficient use of energy and making fuel-efficient vehicles (General Motors, 2014; Crumm, 2010). In order to remain on track with its environmental policies, General Motors establishes relations with the communities that host its operations in setting up ways of increasing efficiency in energy use. For example, in Michigan, it collaborates with DTE Energy both inside and outside its plants. The company shares tips on how to manage, in a better way, negative environmental impacts through its official website. General Motors has designed a blueprint for adopting landfill-free way of life. To promote safety, General Motors China conducted a Safe Road Project that sensitized people to wear safety belts and drive safely. General Motors recycles waste in an endeavour to remain committed to the zero-waste campaign. The company uses 37 MW of solar energy in a number of its facilities in order to promote efficient energy use (General Motors, 2014; Crumm, 2010). General Motors’ commitments to the environment are universal. It channels many of its resources to the making of vehicles that have reduced environmental pollution impact. Auto companies have been using solar energy in promoting efficient energy use. Waste recycle is one of the most common ways of reducing environmental pollution used by people even beyond auto making business (General Motors, 2014; Crumm,

European policy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

European policy - Case Study Example The period was marked by five Arab-Israeli wars, the crucial one being, the six-day war in June 1967 when Israel occupied the Syrian Golan Heights, the Jordanian West-Bank, and the Egyptian Sinai Desert, including the Gaza Strip. From the time that Britain withdrew from the Middle East in the years after WWII, the presence and influence of the erstwhile European colonial powers in that region has been minimal. But that influence and power have been replaced by the US, with sporadic inroads sought to be made by Russia either on its own initiatives or on invitation one or the other of some Arab states. One explanation why this happened was that the Europeans had developed a mindset after all that had happened in WW II that it was in their interest to accept the United States "as their common leader".2 However, for some years during the period of the Cold War, France sought to follow somewhat of a 'lonely foreign policy. France had warned Israel against going to war against the Arabs in 1967, even though de Gaulle had good personal relations with Israel's Ben-Gurion. What may be termed a French "Arab policy" had taken shape a few years earlier, at the end of the Algerian war in 1962. In the Arab-Israeli war of 1967, public opinion in the West had been sympathetic to and generally "supportive" of Israel. So, France's warning to Israel before the 1967 war and condemnation after it had particularly endeared France to the Arab world. However, de La Gorce states that this 'Arab policy' of France -if it could be called as such was "in fact merely the logical extension of de Gaulle's overall foreign policy and his encouragement of states not wanting to belong to either of the two major blocs."3 Thus France's approach to Arab-Israeli confrontation was far removed from that of the other me mbers of the European community. France was, of course, of the view that unconditional endorsement of Israel's animosity would only prolong the conflict but would also help to further build up the intensity of frustration and consequent violence. But France was not able to influence the policy or to exert any significant impact on other European states from altering their stance vis-'-vis the Arab states. The oil shock of 1973 France's approach to the Arab-Israeli conflict thus was an 'isolated one' in Europe - but only until October 1973. In October 1973 the Arab oil producing states raised oil prices by 500% and imposed an oil embargo, which shocked the western world. The European states were shaken out their smugness in relation to the Arab world and forced to think anew. The European community members met the same month and called for a 'political' settlement of the Arab-Israeli problem, including the Israeli withdrawal from the occupied territories since 1967 and acknowledging the rights of the Palestinian people. The nine Member States of the European Community issued a statement on November 6, 1973 that referred to UN resolution 242 and mentioned the 'legitimate rights'

A Raisin in the Sun the American Dream

A Raisin in the Sun the American Dream Abstract The American is defined by reaching the top no matter who you are or where you come from. In the ‘50s this dream revolved around materialistic values. This play focuses on a family with each member having a different dream and their journey as an African Americans. Walter, Mamas son learns the meaning of pride and keeping what his father has earned is more important than money. The play focuses on supporting each other through rough times and learning to love. In the end, they achieve their American dream despite the color of their skin. A Raisin in the sun The American Dream The American dream in the 50s was close to materialism. The ownership of consumer goods was believed to bring joy into a familys life. This stereotypical view governs the dream of one of the main characters in Lorraine Hansberrys play. The title of the play is based on â€Å"Harlem† by Langston Hughes, a poem that raises a question about a dream that is deferred. â€Å"Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or does it explode?† (Rampersad, 1995, pg. 426) There are three main characters and all three of them of have dreams that have been prolonged for too long. A Raisin in the Sun is about the rocky journey they go through to acquire their dreams. The Youngers family has just received a $10,000 dollar check for their dead fathers life insurance policy. They live in a two bedroom apartment on the black side of town in Chicago. Racial prejudices against blacks in that era and a low income are the root of conflict in the family. Mama, deceased Mr. Youngers widow wishes to buy a house and fulfill the dream she once saw with her husband. Beneatha, Mamas daughter, hopes to find her identity through looking towards true African heritage. Walter, Mamas son, wishes to one day become rich. He wants to replenish his marriage and provide his son with all the opportunities he never had growing up. Walter wants to invest money in the liquor business with a few of his friends. Although the idea appalls Mama at first, she trusts and supports her son with his decision. The night before making the investment Walter tells his son about the business transaction he about to make while tucking him into bed. He tells the little boy that their lives will change soon and paints an elaborate and vivid picture of the future. He tells his son that when hes seventeen years old hell come home and park the Chrysler in the driveway. The gardener will greet him and when hes inside the house hell kiss his wife and come up to his sons room to see him browsing through brochures of the best colleges in America. He then tells his son that he will give him whatever he wants. Although Walter is somewhat materialistic in what he wants at the core he just wants a happy family and a son who should have all the chances he never had. During this time Mama buys a house to fulfill the dream she saw with her hu sband; the only one she can afford is in a white suburban neighborhood. Mr. Lindner a man from the neighborhood comes to the Younger house trying to convince them to not destroy the white community. He offers a lot of money in exchange for their acceptance. Meanwhile Walter looses all the money he has invested in the liquor store because I friend has run away with it. When he looses the majority of their financial resources the entire family falls into a deeper level of depression. At this time, Walter decides to take the money the white man has to offer. The thought of selling away their right vexes Mama, Walters sister and his wife. They detest Walter for dealing with his dead fathers money so easily and feel that he has lost his soul when he days we wants to be bought out by the white Mr. Lindner. Ultimately, loosing everything they have unites them because at the last moment Walter changes his mind about taking money from Mr. Lindner. Walter tells him that they have moved into the house because their father earned it for them. He continues by saying that they dont want to disturb the neighborhood peace or protest for bigger causes, and that theyd be nice neighbors. He tells Mr. Lindner that he doesnt want the money. At this moment the entire familys spirits are lifted and they are proud of the decision Walter has made. This act of standing by your family to achieve the American dream of succeeding no matter who you are and where you come from unites them. They learn to support each other and put their families before their own. By owning a house, having a high morale, and the support of their family, each of them is on their way to fulfill their American dream. References Foulis, Rhona (2005, March, 14). A Raisin in the Sun. Retrieved March 8, 2008, from Culture Wars Web site: http://www.culturewars.org.uk/2005-01/raisin.htm Potter , G and Struss, Joe. (2002, April, 02). Iowa State University. Retrieved March 8, 2008, from ISU Play Concordances Web site: http://www.public.iastate.edu/~spires/concord.html Rampersad, A (Ed.). (1995). The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc..

Drug Abuse in Kazakhstan :: Drug Abuse, Substance Abuse

Today the problem of drug abuse is the most serious and severe problem not only in Kazakhstan but throughout the world. The current problem is very acute in Kazakhstan. There are 49, 984 registered drug addicted people, and among them the amount of children is 3, 071 (Over 3 thousand drug addicted kids are registered in Kazakhstan, 2011). Drug addiction is considered a disease, and it is in fact spreads like a virus among children. The danger from drugs is too great to ignore. Although the problem of drugs may seem impossible to avoid, we still can prevent this problem throughout society by taking some powerful and effective actions. People are supposed to help youth drug abusers kick the habit and abolish it as soon as possible in order to ensure the healthy growth of youth and social stability. Today more and more teenagers in Kazakhstan are victims of drug abuse and government should take urgent actions to improve this situation by providing drug education program, making effecti ve laws to stop drug dealers, and creating more medical centers. According to the poll conducted among Kazakh schoolchildren in 2006, 12 percent of junior pupils have used drugs once in their life, 2-5 percent of schoolchildren regularly use drugs. On the whole, the Kazakh teenagers use â€Å"light† drugs like marijuana. Only in the first six months of 2007, 986 adolescents using drugs were registered versus 464 for the whole 2006. (Girfanov,2007). The first reason of the drug abuse among teenagers might be changes in family circumstance. It can include parents’ lack of supervision. As Thompson (n.d.) states, lack of family supervision over the child can be a cause of his/her drug abuse, meaning that if parents do not have proper discipline, the child can be exposed to drug usage. Also, Singha (2010) states that if parents give children an opportunity to do whatever they want especially in such critical teen age, it will result that teenagers will do whatever they want and will wrongly construct the personality. Another reason for drug abuse among teenagers is loneliness or depression. According to Singha (2010), such factors as pressures from the peers, family problems, education pressure and first-love relationships can encourage teenagers to start using drug. This phenomenon is self-explanatory, because in such vulnerable age everything is perceived so sensitively.

Environmental Analysis Essay

This article focused on using the KM model to examine a firm’s external environment systematically. The KM model divides a firm’s external environment into four interdependent and strategically relevant layers. By understanding the changes and trends in each layer as well as the interactive relationships across these layers, companies could identify the emerging needs and trends in the external environment. The model facilitates an orderly and effective way to identify gaps between a firm’s internal operations and changes in its external environment. The KM model provides a platform for incorporating most existing strategic analysis tools to obtain a comprehensive view of a firm’s external environment, and supports companies to set their global strategic positions accordingly. INTRODUCTION Comprehensive and systematic analysis of a firm’s external environment provides management better planning and decision-making capabilities. The formulation of effective strategies often depends on whether a firm’s analysis reflects the changing environment. Many tools have been developed to examine environmental factors in the strategic analysis process. PEST model looks at the political, economical, social and technological factors to analyze the macroeconomic situation of the firm (Narayanan and Fahey, 2001). Porter’s five forces model analyzes a firm’s industry by looking at other existing companies, potential new companies, substitutes for products, suppliers and customers (Porter, 1979). Porter’s value chain identifies a firm’s primary and support activities. The fundamental principle of the model is that primary and support activities contribute to both firm’s costs as well as the ability for a firm to deliver value to its customers (Porter, 1985). SWOT framework identifies a firm’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Blue ocean strategy argues that firms employing a blue ocean strategy are deliberately redefining existing industry boundaries and creating uncontested market spaces as a source of competitive advantage. It suggests that firms engaging in blue ocean strategy see the barriers to competition are not only surmountable, but also present opportunities for untapped revenues (Kim and Mauborgne, 2005). The Diamond-E framework emphasizes that a firm’s successful performance depends on having high consistency among the firm’s internal environment, its strategy and the external environment (Fry and Killing, 1989). Crossan et. al. (2009) introduced a five-step framework to conduct environmental analysis. Mao and Kao (2008) proposed the KM model as a framework to guide systematic and comprehensive strategic analysis. However, increasing global competition, advancement of technology, incomplete information, economical crises and a wide range of uncertainties has made the analysis of the environment more challenging and difficult. Not only it is difficult to identify relevant environmental impacts, practitioners also find it difficult to relate the overall macroeconomic factors directly to the firm’s internal operations. We believe that practitioners would benefit from a framework that will support them to observe and analyze the continuous external changes and trends by 1) defining the relevant macro-environment from the global level to strategically relevant segments in the environment such as the firm’s focused countries, industries and supply chains, 2) relating the impacts of macro-environmental factors to the firm’s internal operations by following a prescriptive and systematic approach, and 3) identify the gaps between the external environment and internal operations. The KM model provides a structure to facilitate this process. In the following sections, the description, structure and applications of KM model for environmental analysis will be discussed. DESCRIPTION OF KM MODEL The KM model is a framework that guides a comprehensive and systematic strategic analysis for a firm. It provides a detailed structure for environmental analysis. It is constructed based on four premises about the environment of a company. First, a firm’s 467 survival depends on how well it adapts to changes in the environment. The environment is dynamic and always changing. Only companies that can continuously provide products and services needed by the changing external environment will achieve sustainability. Second, a firm’s external environment has multiple layers. These layers are interdependent and interactive with each Value Chain S E S E other. The firm’s sustainability is greatly affected by the changes and interactions among these layers. Third, each layer of the external T P environment is being shaped by both current andE past macroeconomic forces. Firms have to understand these forces in order to S Supply Chain understand the environment. Forth, the external environment is affected by cultural differences. E S P T The KM model divides a firm’s external environmentRelated Industries into four interdependent and strategically relevant layers. By understanding the changes and trends in each layer as well as the interactive relationships across these layers, companies could identify the emerging P needs and opportunities in its external environment. The KM model provides aT platform for incorporating most existing strategic analysis tools to obtain a comprehensive view of aFocusedexternal environment. The model facilitates an orderly and effective way to firm’s Countries identify gaps between a firm’s internal operations and changes in its external environment. P T In additional to the multiple layers in the external environment, the KM model also incorporates time as another dimension in the Global Market model. By studying the changes occurred in the past and present, the model facilitates managers to accumulate knowledge about the external environment. This incremental learning process often allows better prediction of future trends in the external environment, Figure 1 The KM future strategic which may give the firm a competitive edge in formulatingModel Structure positions in the global market. The structure of the KM model is described blow (see Figure 1). 1) A firm exists in a multi-layered environment. With the firm’s value chain sitting on top, the external environment is represented in four layers: the supply chain, related industries, focused countries and the global Market. The structure illustrates that all layers of the external environment form the building blocks that support the firm’s existence. 2) Each layer is being shaped and driven by its own political, economical, social and technological macroeconomic forces, as noted as P, E, S, T in the corners of each layer. 3) Layers in the firm’s external environment are interactive and interdependent. Any change caused by the PEST forces in one layer will trigger ripple effects in all other layers. 4) The structure is dynamic and robust. Figure 1 only represents a snapshot of a continuous interactive process of a firm’s external environment overtime. Understanding the past and current states of each layer will help predict future changes and trends. Hence, historical changes and trends in any layer are implied in the KM model. This structure provides a birds-eye view of the firm and its environment. It guides practitioners to systematically observe and understand changes and trends in the external environment. Using this structure, practitioners will be able to comprehensively analyze relationships between the firm and its environment. In the next section, how to apply the KM Model to analyze a firm’s external environment and to identify the gaps between a firm’s external environment and its current operations will be presented. APPLICATAION OF KM MODEL FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS The objectives of using the KM model for environmental analysis are the following: Objective 1 To define the external environment of a firm from the global level to strategically relevant segments in the environment such as the firm’s focused countries, related industries and supply chains Objective 2 To relate the impacts of macroeconomic factors to the firm’s internal operations by following a systematic approach Objective 3 To identity the gaps between the external environment and internal operations Described below is a six-step process to help practitioners to achieve these objectives. For objective 1 Step 1 Divide the firm’s environment into different layers based on the structure in KM model. Step 2 468 Identify the components of each layer in the environment. For objective 2 Step 3 Observe the external environment from the bottom layer of global market to the firm’s supply chain. Identify major forces, changes, trends and opportunities in each layer by applying appropriate strategic analysis tools. Step 4 Based on the observation, identify impacts of major changes and emerging needs of the external environment on the firm’s operation and sustainability. For objective 3 Step 5 Identify gaps between firm’s value chain and the needs and changes in the external environment that may affect the firm’s sustainability. Step 6 Analyze the firm’s value chain to identify resources and core competencies. Evaluate whether the firm has the ability to bridge these major gaps in the existing environment. Step 7 Decide to stay in the existing environment if gaps can be bridged effectively. Consider move to a new environment if gaps cannot be bridged effectively. Step 8 Conduct steps 1 to 7 on a routine basis. The KM model has been used to conduct strategic analysis and provide strategic recommendations for firms in the service and manufacturing sectors, including automobile industry, food, technology, medical as well as non-profit organizations for consulting and managing purposes. It was also adopted as a teaching tool in executive MBA classes to help students analyze their companies. Given that the focus of this paper is on environmental analysis, included in the appendix of this paper is an example how the KM model was applied in analyzing Fiat SpA’s external environment. SUMMARY The environmental analysis component of the KM model presented in this paper provides a framework to systematically analyze the external environment of a firm. The model examines external environments by analyzing the political, economical, social and technological impacts in the context of a firm’s supply chain, related industries, focused countries and the global market. It also incorporates historical trends and cultural influences in the analysis process. By following the proposed steps, practitioners can examine the external environment of a firm using currently existing strategic analysis tools such as Porter’s value chain, PEST, Diamond E, Porter’s five forces, SWOT, etc. In addition, the KM model will help companies identify the gaps between the external environment and internal operations. Once the gaps are identified, companies can set their strategic directions accordingly. The KM strategic analysis model is in the process of being further developed and refined. Modifications and improvements will be presented in future studies. APPENDIX FIAT SpA Environmental Analysis, 2009 After a successful turnaround from 2004, Fiat, an Italian automobile manufacturer became profitable again in 2007. However, heading into 2009, the environment for auto industry has changed dramatically. Factors such as decreasing European sales, stronger competition from Japanese and German automakers, the emergence of new low cost Asian manufacturers, changing government policies, and global economical crisis have brought Fiat to a cross road again. This example demonstrates how the KM model is used to analyze the external environmental of Fiat SpA. Environmental Analysis In this section, the internal and external environments will be analyzed. The objectives of the environmental analysis are to 1)identify external environment changes and internal environment of the firm, and 2)articulate the implications to see if there is a need to change 469 as well as the direction and timing of the changes. This analysis will also help identify the core competence and key success factors of FIAT. The analyses are grouped into three parts. First, the KM model and PEST is used to analyze the internal and external environment of FIAT. The second part of the analysis focused on identifying the gaps between FIAT’s current position and the global environment. A SWOT analysis was conducted as the third part of this analysis. The goal is to identify its resources and core competencies to further evaluate whether the firm has the ability to bridge the major gaps in the existing environment. Step 1 Divide Fiat’s environment into five layers based on the structure in KM model. Fiat’s value chain †¢ Fiat’s supply chain †¢ Fiat’s related industries †¢ Fiat’s focused countries †¢ The global market place Step 2 Identify the components of each layer in the environment. †¢ Fiat’s value chain: Fiat has an automobile manufacturer’s value chain. †¢ Fiat’s supply chain: Fiat depends on a global supply cha in from its suppliers’ network and delivers its products and services through distributors to consumers. †¢ Fiat’s related industries: The Fiat group also manufacture other industrial equipments besides automobiles. Fiat’s focused countries: Fiat has a global presence with a main focus on European countries and has no establishment in the U. S. market until 2009. †¢ The global market place: the global economical conditions and trends in general. Step 3 Observe the external environment from the bottom layer of global market to the firm’s supply chain. Identify major forces, changes, trends and opportunities in each layer by applying appropriate strategic analysis tools. Step 4 Based on the observation, identify impacts of major changes and emerging needs of the external environment on the firm’s operation and sustainability. Global Market Place †¢ Economical o Global economical downturn/crisis o Decreasing consumer buying power in North America and Europe o Increasing car consumption in Asia especially in China †¢ Political/Legal o governments still support global trade o there are signs of national protectionism o tougher laws in car emission o Trend of more government involvement and regulations in the market and economy †¢ †¢ Social Cultural o Consumer behavior changing from large/gas hunger cars to smaller gas efficient/green cars. o More conflicts in society and between management and the workers such as â€Å"bossnaping† due to economical crisis. Technological o Global trend in green technology and gas efficient cars o Technology advancement causes decreasing gaps between high-tech companies in developed countries and low tech company in developing countries such as China and India Implications †¢ Fiat needs to identify what are the opportunities in the time of crisis. †¢ Government support is important. †¢ Economical downturn gives more power to the management to deal with union and other HR management issues but also give more risks. †¢ Consumer and legal trend toward gas efficient cars and green technology. More competitions in the traditional car markets as new players joining from low cost countries due to technology advancement. 470 Focused Countries/regions (use PEST to identify general local market trend and Fiat’s market positions in these specific markets) Region Highlight of PEST Market Position of FIAT Europe †¢ Global economical crisis is hurting †¢ Leading auto maker European economy badly †¢ Sales decrease dramatically in †¢ Social crisis due to economical Europe in 2008 downturn and loss of jobs †¢ Sales primarily rely on Europe †¢ Decreasing consumer confidence and buying power U. S. Financial and economical crisis started †¢ There is no establishment for Fiat from the U. S. is going deeper in the U. S. and Canada market, †¢ Heavy government the biggest auto market in the world involvement/management in the auto industry. †¢ Lack of small car/green technology (Big three) Asia †¢ Economical crisis hurt export economy †¢ There is no significant in China and India badly establishment for Fiat except †¢ Growing auto market with car sales some partnership with few Chinese/Indian companies. increasing in China every month †¢ Consumer trend in purchasing import luxury cars in China. Latin America †¢ Growing auto market †¢ Car sales in Latin America †¢ Economical crisis hurt export badly. especially in Brazil are successful. Slow growth expected as much of Latin †¢ Competition increased (from 25 models in 1992 to more than 100 America depends on trade with the United States (which absorbs half of models in 2005) Latin America’s exports, alone, for example). †¢ Banking regulations and policies changes due to financial crisis. Implications †¢ Too much depending on one market Europe †¢ Decreasing European sales indicating red ocean competition. †¢ No significant development in the world largest auto market – U. S. †¢ No significant development in the world largest emerging market – China and India †¢ Stronger competition in Latin America indicates the need to adjust local strategy. †¢ The impacts from the Big Three’s struggling for survival in the U. S. can be considered as an opportunity. †¢ Japanese, Korean and other companies from Europe are suffering from decreased sales. †¢ Comparing to the global auto volume car makers, Fiat is still a small company. Industry (Use Porters and KM industrial positioning) Porter’s Model Suppliers †¢ Power neutral †¢ Supplier network in Europe is strong †¢ Lack of own supply network in Asia and the U. S. Customers †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Power strong. Changing preferences and buying habit due to economical crisis. Different, segmented market needs and demand in Europe, North America, Latin America and Asia. Power strong. Global auto industry is saturated with new players joining at a fast speed Competitors 471 †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ and low cost. Fiat has no significant influence in important Asian markets such as China and India Fiat has the leading position in the European auto industry. Big Three tumbling Japanese, European competitors are very strong New Asian competitors from China, India in back mirror but not big enough yet. Power low Comparatively lower than before due to government support from Asian and Eastern Europe. More emerging low cost auto makers in the past 10 years. Power strong A lot of substitutions can replace partial or complete functions of cars. Low cost players are trying to get into the world market from India and China. Fiat is considered as a niche player in certain regional markets. Barriers to Entry †¢ †¢ †¢ Substitutions †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Implications †¢ Market segmented, no single market can support sustainability †¢ Severe competition in the industry in all global markets. Each market needs to be dealt with different local preferences. A strong global supply chain network is needed to support global operations. †¢ Red ocean and pink ocean competitions, needs to create blue ocean. †¢ Current position safe but not sustainable. †¢ Stronger competition indicates overall strategy has to be adjusted †¢ Opportunities lie with the tumbling of the Big Three losing their competitive positions †¢ Sense of urgency to adjust to adapt to global changes in the industry. Global Supply Chain †¢ Fiat’s global supply chain is strong in Europe †¢ Indirect but not necessary efficient/effective access to other markets through strategic alliances such as Tata and Cherry, GM often competitors too. Value Chain †¢ Primary activities – efficient production of small cars and high end sports cars †¢ Improved customer services †¢ Strong Management skills and leadership, efficiency †¢ Fuel efficient technology †¢ Strong R&D capability and ability †¢ Lean production †¢ Efficient structure and control systems. Global mentality, long history of global partnerships. Summary Observations External Environment †¢ Global competition/ red ocean/ Factors critical to FIAT’s sustainability †¢ Economy of scale – 5. 5 M per year †¢ Control of market channel in key market for current and future †¢ Technology †¢ Product line/combinations Internal Environment †¢ Existing business model is not sustainable if stays focus only on limited Europe market, 472 †¢ †¢ limited product lines without establishment in major mature and emerging markets. Competing on cost is given but competing on cost with Asian companies in traditional competition is not sustainable without control of distribution networks and technology innovation and government support. Change is must, expansion is must. †¢ †¢ †¢ Global supply chain Structure and systems HR The observations and factors critical to FIAT’s sustainability identified in this section will be used in Part II of the analysis gaps of FIAT’s current operations, and later in this report to identify alternatives and decision criteria. Step 5 Identify gaps between firm’s value chain and the needs and changes in the external environment that may affect the firm’s sustainability. GAP Analysis In this is part, gaps at each level of the KM Model are identified to see if FIAT’s current model fit the changing environment in order for it to sustain the global competition. Gaps in competing globally Value chain †¢ Lack of global production capability, especially in two important global markets North America and Asia. †¢ Lack of product lines important mid-size cars and larger cars production expertise. Lack of forward channels in the above markets critical to future survival. †¢ Lack of global brand reputation to its small size, fuel-efficient cars Supply chain †¢ Too much rely on European supply chain, no capability to efficiently supply globally †¢ Fragmented, not effective global supply chain †¢ Lack of forward channels in global market †¢ Lack of backward channels in global market Industry †¢ Lack of economy of scale to compete in the global market †¢ Is a niche player but does not occupy primary markets †¢ Although good at small size/gas efficient cars, lack of mid-size/larger family size cars to compete in major markets such as U. S. market Focused countries and global †¢ No establishment of production and forward channels in North markets American and Asian markets †¢ Overly depends on Europe sales †¢ Bad old reputation in the U. S. market Implications Major changes in the external environment, such as the global recession, decreasing European sales, the changing customer preferences and government policies are reshaping the environments Fiat’s future relies on. As a niche player, Fiat’s current value chain is no longer fitting the changing environments. Major gaps listed below have to be bridged in order to achieve sustainability for the company. †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Lack of product lines important mid-size cars and larger cars production expertise to compete in major international markets Overly depends on Europe sales and no establishment of production and forward channels in North American and Asian markets Lack of economy of scale to compete in the global market Lack of global brand reputation to its small size, fuel-efficient cars Step 6 Analyze the firm’s value chain to identify resources and core competencies. Evaluate whether the firm has the ability to bridge these major gaps in the existing environment. SWOT Analysis and FIAT’s Core Competencies 473 Strength and Core Competencies †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Strong management and leadership Successful restructuring before the global crisis gave Fiat a good position to compete for future Efficient production system Fuel-efficient and small car technology Experienced in joint ventures, licensing An environmentally friendly automaker pro-green customers like Weakness †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Threats †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Overly rely on the European market Overly reply on the leadership of the CEO No establishment in other major markets except South America Lack of global economy of scale – Only selling just over 2 million units per year Lack of product lines (mid-size, large size cars and trucks) for important global markets. Technological challenge of implementing Fiat’s technology into Chrysler vehicles Lack of brand name reputation in the U. S. Global recession Industry wide overcapacity and productivity Decreasing European sales Emerging low cost competitors from Asia Strong existing Japanese, European competitors Competitors copy successful business models Rising raw material prices such as steel Strong Euro hurts exporting Risk of the company spreads itself too thin and grows too fast constrained fund-raising options Consumer losing confidence in economy hurts large item purchases. Debt and cash flow Risk of bad union relations due to expansion Opportunities †¢ Global economical crisis brought down competitors, provide opportunities for well managed companies like Fiat †¢ Government support †¢ Changing customer preferences toward fuel efficient cars †¢ Emerging market in Asia and South America Implications In order for Fiat to be sustainable, the company has to explore and secure the opportunities based on its core competencies as not all the opportunities are realistic to Fiat’s future development. Fiat has to be very careful when it chooses opportunities to be the target in its business plan. Step 7 Decide to stay in the existing environment if gaps can be bridged effectively. Consider move to a new environment if gaps cannot be bridged effectively. Based on the KM strategic analysis for Fiat’s environment, Fiat needs to make a decision whether it should stay in the automobile industry based on its core competencies and strengths. If it decides to stay, it should make adjustments through its value chain to adapt to the changing global markets. It should, for example, consider expanding to the North America auto market and the emerging markets in order to extend its profitability as a global player. Once Fiat establishes its global presence and profitability, it can then determine the role of its auto division in the global markets. Step 8 Conduct steps 1 to 7 on a routine basis. The example demonstrated how the external environmental analysis for Fiat could be analyzed by using the KM model. REFERENCES 474 Crossan, M. M. , Fry, J. N. , and Killing, J. P. (2009) Strategic Analysis and Action, Toronto: Pearson Education Canada. Mao, T. and Kao, D. (2008) Lecture Notes for International Business Management, MBA for Managers and Professionals, Center for Executive Education, University of Windsor. Kim, W. C. and Mauborgne, R. (2005) Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant, Boston, Mass. : Harvard Business School Press. Narayanan, V. K. and Fahey, L. (2001) Macroenvironmental Analysis: Understanding the Environment outside the Industry, The Portable MBA in Strategy, 2nd edition. New York: Wiley, p. 189-214. Porter, M. E. (1979) How Competitive Forces Shape Strategy, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 57, March-April, p. 137. Porter, M. E. (1985) Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance. New York: Free Press. 475

Public Administration

Journal of Public Administration and Policy Research Vol. 4(2) pp. 23-31 March, 2012 Available online at http://www. academicjournals. org/JPAPR DOI: 10. 5897/JPAPR11. 049 ISSN 2141-2480  ©2012 Academic Journals Review Ethics in Public Administration D. Radhika Ph. D. Research Scholar, Post-Graduate and Research Department of Public Administration, Anna Adarsh College for Women, (affiliated to the University of Madras) Chennai-600040, Tamilnadu, India. E-mail: [email  protected] com. Accepted 23 February, 2012The modern world has seen an increase in interest in the areas related to the ethics of the sovereign good. A number of studies have focused on this subject matter and several academicians have exposed a number of ethical and philosophical dilemmas related to the concept of ethics in public administration. Despite the increasing number of studies that have focused on the importance of administrative ethics, there has been very little effort spent on identifying what exactly constitutes the crux of ethics in administration.The objective of this paper is to review the implications of the basic principles of ethics for public administration in the context of new public governance and discuss their impact on different administration imperatives which in turn act as the determinants of ethics in public administration. This review will also focus on the importance of ethics in new governance practices (privatization, decentralization, debureaucratization, devolution of budgets etc. ,) with reference to the push and pull of ethics and administration and how ethics mindsets and basic approaches to administration and governance can be changed.Key words: Ethics, public administration, ethical imperatives, ethics and public administration, ethics and morals. INTRODUCTION Since the 1970s there has been a great deal of change associated with the implementation of administrative ethics. These changes have been promoted and motivated by the concept of public administ ration in the new era. An important position is given to the concept of ethical issues in today’s civil governance. There has been a great deal of research associated with this concept which has been supported by translation of evidences and theories into practice across different continents.Frederickson and Ghere (2005) address both the managerial and individual/moral dimensions of ethical behavior as well as new challenges to administrative ethics posed by globalization. As promoted by Cooper (2001) ethics in public administration is not a transient concept but has proven to be an approach which has shown a great deal of sustainability which is fundamental to the area of public administration. Public administration has certain issues with regard to ethics implementation and finds it troublesome to come to terms with them. One reason for this is because ethics is embedded in an intellectual framework.This framework is based on stable institutional as well as role relationshi p levels, among both public employees as well as the organization. According to the views of a number of researchers (Bang and Sorensen, 1999; Keast et al. , 2004; Rhodes, 1996; Sorensen, 2002, 2006; Sorensen and Torfing, 2004; Stoker, 1998), current government perspectives believe that clarity and stability at these levels would be problematic. Despite the increasing number of studies that have focused on the importance of administrative ethics, there has been very little effort spent on identifying what is exactly the crux of ethics in administration (Cooper, 2004).This lack of directed research in the dynamics of operations with regards to ethics in public administration along with constant changes in the principles and policies associated with administrative ethics need to be examined. These developments have raised new topics for concern in this field. One example which can be cited at this juncture is the emergence of the concept of egovernance which would require the identifi cation of a whole new paradigm of ethics in public administration. This article tries to identify the ways in which administrative policies in public organizations can be 24 J.Public Adm. Policy Res. promoted and managed by adopting an effective and novel ethical approach. It would be prudent to mention the â€Å"ethics framework† here. The ethics framework (Bosseart and Demmke, 2005) is a voluntary, non-legally binding European Code of Ethics. It reflects the basic common values and standards which member states consider important for the proper functioning of public service. It comprehensively discusses the general core values, specific standards of conduct, actions to safeguard integrity and measures on handling situations where there has been possible violation of ethics.It helps to structure the discussion on public-service ethics and it serves as a toolkit or general guideline for the development of codes of conduct at a national and subnational level. Originally, the e thics framework identifies general core values that should be common to all member states. These values are the rule of law (â€Å"lawfulness†), impartiality/ objectivity, transparency (â€Å"openness†), accountability, professionalism (â€Å"expertise†), and duty of care, reliability (â€Å"confidence, trust†) and courtesy (â€Å"service principle†).If it is believed that these are the core values, then they should be fully recognised in every country. Public-service ethics is an issue that is taken seriously in every member state of the European Union. However, member states are at different stages of development and measures that are considered necessary in one country may be deemed irrelevant in others. The ethics framework has had a greater impact on those new member states that are currently fighting against corruption.In the case of old member states, the Framework has had smaller impact since the core values have traditionally been an integ ral part of their administrative culture and many of the tools proposed in the Framework were already in use. For example if one considers Portugal, an old member state where the administrative culture is traditional and core values are already a part of the administrative framework there are alterations in the form of codes of conduct which can be proposed in order to promote ethics in public administration.However the norms and regulations associated with the old administrative culture were not modified or removed. This resulted in two different viewpoints being promoted by the same government. This has resulted in a great deal of tension between traditional administrative culture and the new concepts of quality in public administration. NEW PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND ETHICS Globally the concept of privatization has been promoted in new public administration. It is seen that this concept is related to the measures which promote establishment of efficiency and efficacy leading to ev elopment of quality deliverance of public services. In the research conducted by Savas (2000), the concept of â€Å"privatization in new public management†, is promoted. Further identified by Walsh et al. (1997) introduction of new market mechanisms which promote effective implementation of public services in organizations is identified. Walsh in his research has identified that privatization in governance in the United Kingdom has resulted in a new paradigm, which has promoted transformation of both organizational and cultural needs.The purpose of these reforms include reduction of cost relating to the actions of the governments, identification of measures to reduce the direct impact of action of public employees and bringing about a variation in the overall views of the government by the public. This type of privatization maneuver not only challenged the current realities associated with ethics in public administration, wherein administrators were considered as technical pr ofessionals, but also identified the type of functioning that does not take into account good judgment on the part of employees.Accordingly, intellectual proponents of the ethical perspective were responsible for the first noteworthy approach of public administrators’ ethical obligations and the importance of citizen participation in administrative decisions (Cooper, 2004). This has long been in place in developed countries across the world as seen with the NPM concepts promoted by Ronald Reagan in USA and Margaret Thatcher in the UK. REINVENTING GOVERNMENT As seen by Osborne and Gaebler (1992), it is observed that reinventing the government assumed importance in Bill Clinton’s administration.In his era, new concepts of public administration with regards to two different areas were promoted. The first, involved identification of factors which promoted the productivity of governance and the second involved setting a new vision and mission policy. It was proposed that th e productivity of governance can be increased by adopting more ethical measures in terms of distinguishing between the results and quantity of resources used. The use of a new mission policy will satisfy the needs of the general public. These measures may be identified to be less drastic when compared to the concept of privatization of governmental organizations.However this idea can be promoted and productivity increased only when there is a change in attitude towards current concepts of established hierarchy in governance. A move should be made toward promotion of methods to identify flexibility, centralization and concentration of public administration aspects. These aspects may be considered to be an intermediate solution to privatization. If it is not possible, delegation mechanisms can be a solution. With regard to the ethical position, the researcher advocates that privatization may not alter the fact that the responsibility of the state towards its citizens will be met.Radhi ka 25 Different processes which are to be supervised and controlled need to be realized by the government because ultimately the accountability and ethics of the action of the government to its citizens is needed. The scope and responsibilities of public administration changed due to the dynamics of new public management systems such as privatization, decentralization, debureaucratization and citizen partnership that are essentially new public management techniques and practices drawn mainly from the private sector and increasingly seen as a global phenomenon.These concepts shift the emphasis from traditional public administration to public management which accorded ethics a central position. The purpose of public service is to essentially fulfil a citizen’s basic requirements. Rocha (2000), observes that groups calling for professional management of public administration argue that they are more efficient and effective than the existing framework. They call for breaking down large institutions into manageable centres, thus allowing for independent functioning as part of the new economic institutional ideal.MORALS: THE RISE OF ETHICAL REASONING ABOUT MORALS Snell (1976) has maintained that it was Socrates, the founder of moral philosophy who enquired into the nature of ethics as his thoughts led him to the inner person rather than the external physical factors in 5 B. C. Morality’s choice of good and sound ethics was a natural means of developing a strong moral fibre. Socrates also felt that knowledge and morality were interrelated and one could not be moral if one did not know what morals were and what was good for mankind. Thus, he thought of virtue as being the centrepiece of nowledge and reasoned that virtue was knowledge. All thought and action therefore had to emanate from the knowledge of what was good or bad and then, be judged by ethical and moral standards. This would then lead to true happiness. (Vlastos, 1991), states that it was Socr ates’ idea that morality be linked to happiness because he felt ethics was about knowing what was good. Socrates’ thoughts also reached the common man through discourses and debates, and intense conversations, which constantly probed, questioned and thus, evoked reactions and insights while testing his views and theories through his now-famous dialogues.He felt constant engagement with the questions of virtue. He believed that morality would make people better as they would focus more on their own moral standards. DETERMINANTS ADMINISTRATION OF ETHICS IN PUBLIC public sector include: 1) The political construct of which public administrators are a part 2) The legal framework 3) The administrators and public employees who are responsible for the provision of public services 4) The citizens and users of public services that are a part of the civil society.First, the determinants of ethics in public administration with regard to the individual attributes of public/civil se rvants include ethical decision-making skills (Richardson and Nigro 1987), mental attitude (Bailey, 1964), virtues (Dimock, 1990; Dobel, 1990; Gregory, 1999; Hart, 1989), and professional values (Van Wart, 1998). Secondly, the organizational structure dimension is explained by clear accountability, collaborative arrangements, dissent channels, and participation procedures (Denhardt, 1988; Thomson, 1985).Third, the political organizational culture includes artefacts, beliefs and values, and assumptions (Schein, 1985). Leadership is important in the development, maintenance, and adaptation of organizational culture (Scott, 1982; Schein, 1985; Ott, 1989). Ethical behavior is encouraged when organizations have a climate where personal standards and employee education are emphasized, where supervisors stress the truth, and where employees regularly come together to discuss ethical problems (Bruce, 1995, 1994). Finally, societal expectation includes public participation, laws, and policie s.The advanced set of fundamental principles or criteria that integrate the process of dealing with ethical dilemmas in public administration are: 1) Democratic accountability of administration, 2) The rule of law and the principle of legality, 3) Professional integrity and 4) Responsiveness to civil society. This can be described as the ALIR model of imperatives of ethical reasoning in public administration. The research by Parsons (1964) presented the concept of ‘evolutionary universals in society’; wherein there are aspects associated with the identification of issues related to public administration ethics.In his Evolutionary Universals Parsons tied his functionalist theory to an evolutionary perspective and argued that, like biological organisms, societies progress through their ‘capacity for generalized adaptation’ to their environment. This is achieved mainly through processes of structural differentiation; that is, the development of specialized ins titutions to perform the social functions necessary to meet increasingly specialized needs. However, this increasing complexity then requires new modes of integration, in 1 The major determinants of administrative conduct in the ALIR- Accountability, Legality, Integrity, Responsiveness 26 J. Public Adm. Policy Res. order to co-ordinate the new and more specialized elements. This is achieved via the principle of the ‘cybernetic hierarchy’ or the increased information exchange or the growth of knowledge. Evolution is then from traditional to modern societies, and progress can be charted via the development (structural differentiation) of evolutionary universals such as bureaucratic organization, money and market complexes, stratification, and the emergence of generalized universalistic norms.Each of these enables a society to adapt more efficiently to its environment. The concepts of ALIR and Parsons’ evolutionary universals have some commonalities from the point o f view of public administration. The identification of a new type of governance which promotes evolutionary universality will be vital in democratically identifying the rule of law which is capable of carrying out its role as well as taking into consideration the tasks of the civil society. The researcher feels that this type of interdependence and connection will help in distinguishing between various concepts of ethics in public administration.This will also help extend morally and effectively the following four functional concepts: 1) Accountability of public bureaucracy which helps identifies the relationship between legitimate actions and its link to administration. 2) The rule of law and legality wherein public administration should be governed by the law. 3) Concepts of professional integrity and autonomy among public administrators which will ultimately help promote the principle of meritocracy. 4) Concepts of responsibility and immediate action of public administration to i ts citizens.Consequently, the artful application of such a set of moral commands in concrete situations and circumstances will bear witness to the particular kind of ethical reasoning that a specific administrative system or public institution is able to achieve and sustain. PRINCIPLES OF ETHICS It is important to concentrate on the two leading models(ethics of the sovereign good and ethics of the service of goods) that are involved with ethical thoughts and actions within the public sectors. Furthermore, we will also compare and contrast them with the collaborative ethics that were mentioned above.It has to be kept in mind that we are not taking any particular or specific approach but rather will be taking the modern understanding of could be called â€Å"vulgar Kantianism† or a â€Å"vulgar utilitarianism† (Harmon, 2005). Ethics of the sovereign good The ethics of the sovereign good is nothing but the set of guidelines based on which an individual acts. The ethics of the sovereign good is identified to be a set of values from which the different views on ‘what is good’ can be judged. It can be commonly seen in real world scenarios that many people have different versions of the same ethical concept.People try to twist the concept to fit their needs based on their conception of the â€Å"good†. Therefore it is important to identify the viewpoint that holds the true spirit of the ethical guidelines. Michael (2005, 2003) makes a compelling argument in â€Å"The public administration†, with regards to the ethics of the sovereign good. According to him it can be called ‘principled morality’. In his argument he talks about why one should not act on the principles set by the ethics of the sovereign good. An important reason is the issue of opposing principles.According to him, not all conflicts can be resolved by basing it on the ethics that are subscribed in the sovereign good. This is because ethics does not t ake into account a large number of variables that other principles apply to that particular scenario. The primary issue with the ethics of the sovereign good is the fact that it refers to itself as the absolute last word when it comes to ethical decisions. Another issue is that it tends to assume an attitude that is raw linguistic positivism.One reason why the ethic of the sovereign good is so appealing is that it tends to transcend beyond the individual and looks at the bigger collective when it comes to defining proper ethics. Therefore it will not solve the individual issues but will rather lead us into an unrecognized and impossible (from its perspective) aporia. Ethics of the service of goods The values that are promoted by the ethics of the service of goods are mainly efficiency and maximization of the inputs to outputs. Basically there are three aspects which are important when it comes to the service of goods.They are logic of reciprocity, its view of the collective, and its criteria for judgment. It can also be clearly seen that the ethics of the sovereign good are mainly targeted towards the market. At the very core, service of goods is based on mutual exchange. Basically it assumes that people are rational and have the freedom to choose what goods or services they want. Thus, if an individual likes a particular good/ service; he/she can enter into an agreement with a suitable trader on the terms for the purchase of the same service or good.In exchange the individual can offer monetary resources to compensate the trader for the services and goods that they have provided. This is an amicable process that is disrupted only when someone fails to deliver the goods as per the terms agreed to. This will result in the decline of the social good. However in the case when everything is going smoothly, what is good for the individual ends up being good for the collective Radhika 27 whole. There have been a lot of questions that have been directed towards the e thics of the service of goods.The questions that are raised are often related to the presumption of self-interest and about the ability of people to know their true interests. These questions are considered to be problematic for reasons both empirical and logical. According to different researchers (Bauman, 2001, 2005; Catlaw, 2009), viability is an issue since the ethics of the sovereign good tends to legitimize everything as long as it promotes trade and therefore in the long run has a tendency to wear away minimal stability . This stability is needed for an intelligible world with better ethics.It neglects the problem that one must always ask â€Å"efficient to what end†? â€Å"Or â€Å"good for whom†? Following this line of thought different imperatives need to be understood in the context of ethics in administration which are discussed subsequently. ACCOUNTABILITY IMPERATIVES The distinction between politics and administration, which forms one of the most classic doctrines of modern political science and public administration (Easton, 1953), connotes not only their division of functions and their structural separation but also the subordination of the latter to the former.This stream of thought also feels that politics is superior to administration and that the government controls the administrative machinery. Bureaucrats are loyal to their ministers, who in turn are loyal to the legislature, which is loyal to the people as they are their countrymen. Thus these ‘people’s representatives’ hold the administration accountable in the interests of the general public. Ministers are accountable to the Parliament and not civil servants and hence civil servants have to act as per the orders of their ministers whether they are in agreement or not as long as the law is not circumvented or breached.Subordination of civil servants to elected representatives who act as law-makers and policy-setters forms a sine qua non precondition of democratic politics. When the bureaucracy and administration usurps power, which does not belong to it; the bureaucracy (civil or military) enters the political arena, undermines representative democracy and subjugates politics and government to its own interests and commands. Thus, it falls upon the civil servants to work diligently under the legislature as these representatives actually reflect the will of the people. They also have to apply considerable restraint in partisan politics nd while expressing their personal views. Thus, democratic virtue is not a part of the core value of public administration and neither can the parliament usurp public service institutions for its own political ends. Modern governance celebrates the different roles and responsibilities of politics and administration as it leads to higher efficacy of both functions and that is an important part of moral and personal integrity-the ability to be able to tell the truth to the powers that be. LEGAL IMPERA TIVES Administrators have to respect the legal framework and act within its bounds thus rendering all government action legitimate.Law is a universal concept in both politics and society. (Reichstadt, Etat de Droit). Max Weber sees the action of a state within the law as the third way of legitimizing authority with the other two being, charisma and tradition. Once the administration works within the realm of the law, it automatically sets forth for itself a series of controls and regulations. Power flows from the people and thus all power must be used for the good of the people, a fundamental requirement of most democratic constitutions. Governments and administrations therefore have no choice but to work within the legal framework.Thus, the way the judiciary implements these laws which are there to ultimately serve the people forms the core of the legal determinants. Brown and Duguid (2000) state that courts ensure that the law will be followed during the discharge of public duty a nd that no injustice or partiality will do and that power will not be abused. Constant monitoring and protection of the law has to be a priority if administrative reforms are to take place. Even Aristotle commented that the law should be supreme in the eyes of the people and should operate without any interference.THE INTEGRITY IMPERATIVE Chapman (1959) states, as professional ethics entered the administrative space so did the need for studying public administration and defining its scope and determinants. The nation states of Europe among others 2 have taken steps to professionalize the government. (The ethics framework and the European code of ethics) Ministers guide the bureaucracy which discharges its public duties in conformity with the law. They are chosen on the basis of special criteria and procedures which govern their recruitment, career path, discipline, and scope etc.Professional virtue brings with it integrity and acceptance of the hierarchical dominance of the governme nt but works under the authority of the law. Argyriades (1996) observes that civil servants are the permanent officers of the transient politicians in Parliament. Their competency from experience, knowledge, depth etc. , helps them assess ground realities and advise the parliament and implement public policies in an effective manner in the interest of the public. The essential 2 The ethics framework: Available on http://forum. europa. eu. int/ 28 J. Public Adm. Policy Res. eatures of a professional public service which would include knowledge of expertise, of judgement and conduct in accordance to standards, as well as commitment to the field comprise the following: 1) Recruitment should be carried out on the basis of tests and merits conducted by separate bodies and governed by regulations that are independent of politics and political systems. It should take place impartially and solely consider merit and achievements. Merit, therefore is a huge determinant of integrity and autono my. 2) Self governance should be stressed on by administrative councils to promote corporate spirit and professionalism.Experience and length of service as well as achievements and performance must be taken into account for promotions. 3) Training and education should increase professionalism in government and administration as a whole. Professionalism in public service can be seen in people who have a very good knowledge of the job in which they are working at, their expertise and talent and their ability to adhere to the highest ethical standards. Thus a true professional is one who has an adequate mix of expertise, knowledge and experience and also those who can meet the public’s expectation of them.The general public and society have certain guidelines for various professionals who are expected to adhere to these standards. For example, corruption is frowned up on by the general public and therefore a true professional would be expected to follow such practices. Otherwise , the profession is deprived of an essential precondition of its claim to legitimacy. Corruption can be a major obstacle in the process of economic development and in modernizing a country. The greater recognition that corruption can have a serious adverse impact on development has been a cause for concern among developing countries.In a survey of 150 high level officials from 60 third world countries, the respondents ranked public sector corruption as the most severe obstacle confronting their development process (Gray and Kaufmann, 1998). Countries in the Asia and Pacific region are also very worried about this problem and they are in substantial agreement that corruption is a major constraint that is hindering their economic, political and social development, and hence view it as a problem requiring urgent attention at the highest level.An example of how corruption can affect a nations’ stability that can be cited at this point is the pandemic bureaucratic and political in stability in Nigeria which is the main cause of democratic instability in the country. Ogundiya (2010) argues that democratic stability will be difficult to attain as long as corruption remains pandemic and unchecked. According to Hegel (1967), â€Å"What the service of the state really requires is that men shall forego the selfish and capricious satisfaction of their subjective ends; by his very sacrifice, they acquire the right to find their satisfaction in, but only in, the dutiful discharge of their public functions†. It may be inferred from the aforementioned that there exists a link between the universal and particular interests. The government employee would then be expected to follow a code of ethics consolidating professional virtue and integrity. Another advantage of this is that by doing so, their self confidence and motivation will rise. This is applicable for any professional in any country. Integrity can be achieved through self control in administrative conduct based on ethical standards.THE IMPERATIVE FOR RESPONSIVENESS According to Hegel (1967), public servants worked solely for the state and not for society as it was the first, which determined the choice of citizens. The society as opposed to this was viewed by Hegel as being a total of specific and contrasting desires. This then became the sphere of the particular, of concrete persons with their own private ‘systems of needs and the efforts to satisfy them. Whereas the state served the general interest, civil society was the state of partial interests.In this somehow dichotomous idea of social construction, individuals actualize themselves while partaking in various activities in civil society and ‘in becoming something definite, that is, something specifically particularized' (Hegel, 1967). The state, however, with its system of governance and law provides the underlying conditions by which individuals and their actions may find their fullest fulfillment. For that reason , the state was for Hegel the ‘actuality of the ethical idea', that is the unity of the universal and the particular.Hegel’s ideas could be more properly comprehended if it is considered that he lived in a nation where many of the people were basically subjects with no role in the functioning of the government and hence a political life and convention such as the English have had was almost negligible. His work was an effort to spread awareness among the Germans about the political aspects of life. Gellner (1996) and Argyriades (1998) observe that without an expressive and self-sufficient civil society, no political life and even less democratic polity is likely to grow and flourish.Hence, civil society has been thought of as one of the most crucial requisites for freedom and democracy. The idea that was advocated by the beginning of the twenty-first century was that the state must neither direct civil society nor be submissive to it. Rather it should stress and pitch i n the task of building social capital to the advantage of the human race which is involved. Hence, juggling an alert state and an active civil society poses a good plan for improving the standards and the future for democratic tasks.In this respect, the ‘civic virtue' of ethical reasoning in state action entails that public institutions be responsive Radhika 29 to society and pay attention to the needs and demands of the people, facilitating access to services and creating an enabling environment for sustainable human and social development. (Bovens, 1998) states, alertness is not confined to market authorities but is majorly involved in the citizens’ role in to every extent and in every tier of the government, and it also involves giving power to people in human groups.Responsiveness also entails consultation in governance and the promotion of a kind of ‘communicative ethic’ (Habermas, 1987) in societal affairs. The transition, however cumbersome it may be , from the command type of authority over people to more communicative types of reasoning and administration of things seems to emerge as a radical paradigm shift in societal affairs. In this context, civil society not only furnishes the state with needs and demands of an individual nature, but also with valuable sources of information, feedback criticism and evaluation of performance.Therefore, notions like decentralization, de-bureaucratization, privatization and citizen participation loom large in the repertoire of reform programmes and practices of many contemporary administrative systems, and affect the interface between civil society and the state. It also influences the interaction between the state and the civil society. (Buchanan, 1985) observes that society has ceased to be just the concern of state actors and molded by bureaucracy, on the contrary it is now in the purview of the active citizen’s concern.Naturally, ‘a country's view of public administration re flects its underlying philosophy of society and the state' (Chapman, 1959). State officials are affected by the way the public at large regards them. Eventually, civil servants forming a middle-class profession, par excellence, acquire the features that society expects of them. Public administration forms a partial regime in the societal complex; it is part of the state, which is subject to a distinct ‘ethic of responsibility' – in the Weberian sensevis-a-vis the society. The ideas of alertness and accountability and answerability have some similarity.These ideas also have overlaps. In spite of the number of meanings they have, it cannot be ignored that the basic aspect concerns duty and the preparedness of civil servants to honestly rationalize and defend their moves for public good. NEW ETHICAL APPROACH Denhardt and Denhardt (2002) argue that public administrators influence, and are influenced by, all of the competing standards, values, and preferences of the complex governance system. These variables not only influence, and are influenced by, public administrators; they also represent points of accountability.They plead for a â€Å"new public service† instead of â€Å"new public management† under the slogan â€Å"serving rather than steering. † Maesschalk (2001) defines the new public service approach as a viable third alternative to the observed dichotomy between â€Å"the old public administration† and â€Å"the new public management,† paying considerable attention to the development of a new ethic for public servants. The new public service authors largely join the traditionalist group in their negative assessment of the ethical consequences of NPM reforms.They propose new mechanisms in which â€Å"the primary role of the public servant is to help citizens articulate and meet their shared interests rather than to attempt to control or steer society. † It is necessary to have a management which makes available the standardization of professional ethical values, and an Aristotelian procedure of absorbing constant adjustments. This achievement resides in true ethics-based politics, which is standardized and universal. It is a must to move from forced bureaucratic demands to more agreement-based behaviour for public good.Thus the current reality needs creative methods and clubbed techniques. Hence we recommend that a public governance moral structuring could include the following aspects: 1) Instruments for answerability 2) Supervising systems through local and outside question forms 3) Forging of helpful measures to motivate moralistic attitudes award ethical acts 4) Application of audit techniques at an Intergovernmental level 5) Official socialization (for example, structuring, knowledge and guidance) 6) Establishing of whistle-blowing mechanisms cautiously 7) A greater plea for an active citizenry. ) Outlining managerial tasks 9) Effective communication. Management of ethics Th e concept of ethics is naturally reliant on genuine political desire. In this manner there is sufficient scope to establish a holistic moral code in an inclusive, organised fashion. Stand-alone steps are of no use. By evolving certain mechanisms for moral functioning, one can provide solutions for conflict of ethics, difficulties, and other scenarios.It is also helpful to encourage the growth of instruments and techniques which can predict difficulties related to ethics and beneficial to propose solutions in a more agreeable manner. Unsurprisingly, the basic principle and aim of worthy administrations are, according to Aristotle, to habituate citizens and civil workers to the inculcation of virtue. This is validated by the events in states, for law makers who mould citizens to act properly by inculcating good habits in them. It is the desire of every law maker and as for 0 J. Public Adm. Policy Res. those who cannot succeed; this is what distinguishes an effective polity from a bad one. Aristotle is of the view that the main role of the governor is to facilitate moral literacy for citizens. To be able to do so, he or she will need a lot of awareness, knowledge of virtue, and that kind of awareness can only come through a perpetual quest and enquiry about things and acts. Morality is basically about questioning. This is the main advantage of human life else it is an unworthy life.Life which has not been exposed to tests is unacceptable to humans said Socrates, in his exceptional Apology (38 A) for a moralistic stand in life. Dealing with administration ethical dilemmas in public Hart (1961) states that at the time of facing basic queries about what to do and which manner to behave in complicated scenarios and the degree to which opposed values or choice factors could be used in the scenario, one ventures in the region of ethical confusions or of â€Å"hard choices†. A dilemma is a concept which is broader and more exacting than a problem no matter how to ugh or complicated it is.The reason is that dilemmas, unlike problems, cannot be solved in the terms in which they are initially presented to the decision-maker. Being entangled in a dilemma, the choice-maker is not just confronted with contradictory and unwanted substitutes, worse, the impossibility of their being matched also means that they are separate in the sense that one can only be fulfilled if the other is not taken care of. Hence a scenario of a dilemma could result a no-win game in which the decision of one worthy substitute is always adhered to by the negation of the other.Addressing the dilemma in such a fashion would then be an opposition in terms and an aberration as the answer which is arrived at would appear to be no good and signify a complete break-up of the entangled factors of the matters to be solved. A difficulty could however be managed properly if the conditions of reference changed and the entire scenario was restructured so that focus be given to all optio ns which are organised and connected among themselves in a more orderly and sensible way. Obviously, dilemmas are many in complicated establishments, which cannot solve them properly.As an outcome, state officials and civil servants witnessing sharp dilemmas cannot but help being confused and embarrassed unwillingly. In such scenario, public governance rather than operating in the manner in which it is supposed to, lapses into a condition of chaos and uncertainty. It is in this case that moral ambiguity and lack of lucidity about larger values to direct choices and tasks in hard events may cause unbridled scepticism and a cynical attitude. Naturally, dilemmas abound in complex organizations, which fail to tackle them effectively.As a result, state officials and civil servants exposed to acute dilemmas can hardly help succumbing to a state of confusion and embarrassment in which they are often quite unwillingly thrust. In circumstances like these public administration instead of func tioning as a well ordered state of legitimate purposes degenerates into a state of confusion and indeterminacy. It is then that the case of ethical vagueness and lack of clarity about overall values to guide action and choices in ‘hard cases' comes about in administration.But if everything stands and anything goes, then nothing can be taken seriously, neither ethics and values nor rights and duties of public servants and citizens alike. The growing group of basic tenets or aspects that unite and restructure the procedure of handling ethical dilemmas in public governance are: (1) democratic answerability of governance, (2) the application of law and the notion of legality, (3) official honesty, and (4) alertness to civil society needs. CONCLUSION Even prior to the close of the twentieth century, it was apparent that states, governments, and public entities were venturing into an era of change.This was basically a period of change and not a model-based shift from dictatorial, ce ntrally-powerful states to increasingly free and consultative kinds of social communication between the people and the administrators. A different set of equations between politics, economy, culture, and civil society has been the trigger for new research on more inputs and restructuring of the responsibilities of the state and those of the public services with regard to the society and the economy. The planning for moral improvement in the public sector throws up uge questions impacting the nature of democracy, law, motivation and ethics in the public domain, and the state’s communication with civil society. There is not much uncertainty that clashing demands can make governance appear inconsistent. As a matter of fact, every one of the ALIR requirements for moralistic rationalizing if taken to its extreme would be a big hurdle rather than an asset. Some disagreements between constituents of an entity which upset the state of larger conditions can only be set right if justic e at par is given to every one of them; or rather if it dispenses what is apt to all.Not surprisingly, for Aristotle justice is the balance of passions and actions, and moral virtues reside in middle states (Lasswell, 1971). The basic aim would therefore be not the triumph of one principle or ethical imperative over the other, but rather the reduction of incongruence among them and the provision of conditions for their harmonious coexistence, mutual support and complementary fulfillment. Turning mutually exclusive dilemmas into solvable problems would then require a holistic and reflexive approach to Radhika 31 ethical reasoning.Thus modernity and change in public administration is not just applicable towards the civil society but also the civil service and public administration in a number of different ways both locally and internationally. Therefore when it comes to public administration, ethics must provide a fair degree of flexibility when it comes to framing a rational decision . It can be seen that public administrators are best placed to answer someone’s need. Thus, there is a pressing need to place morality and ethics first in the public administration of today. 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