Globalisation, Ethics and Public Administration
| Author | Saket Bihari |
| DOI | 10.1177/0019556120130323 |
| Published date | 01 July 2013 |
| Date | 01 July 2013 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
GLOBALISATION, ETHICS AND PUBLIC
ADMINISTRATION
SAKET BIHARI
The article highlights the implications
of
globalisation as a
process
and
shows
how
the
ever
expanding
trends
of
consumerism create impediments
for
the ethical values
in
the
realm
of
public administration. The social, economic and
cultural capitals provide impetus for few to be fu.nctional
in
the established power structure whereas those who are devoid
suffer. The reality
of
ethics in the
suboF
many
and
superordinate few strategically becomes an incongruent reality
which in
tum
abates the degree
of
social development. The
crisis
in
ethics seems to have become so acute that cultural
configuration
of
our society is constrained to gradually accept
it
which
symbolically
shows
a
strengthened
force
of
dehumanisation. The self-realisation and pan-sensitisation are
only capable tools to foster the ethics
in
public administration
which is the need
of
the
hour.
INTRODUCTION
GLOBALISATION
AS
a process has potential to influence any trend which
implicitly or explicitly is linked with life practices.
It
is obvious because it
is an imbricated trend with influential financial forces which keeps on
deciding the quality
of
life and actual prosperity. The degree
of
prosperity
is linked with recognised quality
of
life which people enjoy and those who
do not, feel envied upon.
It
implies that the quality
of
life has potential to
instigate the inequality already institutionalised through the system
of
hierarchy under the sustained value system. The quality
of
life does not
come by its own; it has a consistent placement in the exclusive intellectual-
space which may initiate inequality for others where the relativity
of
deprivation is contested and contrasted with. The articulation which often
defined as the concern with what ought to be on the one hand and what
actually is, on the other.
It
arouses several predicaments
of
intellectual
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excellence and social charm in the realm
of
global considerations which
go hand in hand with initial negotiations.
This constant negotiation is
to
be the integral part in the affluent life-
style which suggests measures to define ethics, even goes beyond the
capitalist system
by
trespassing the minimal degree
of
morality in order to
avoid the lacklustre lives which would have had
an
unlimited accumulation
of
profit through rational organisation
of
production process in particular
and the reproduction
of
cultural capital
in
general with the help
of
interest,
activity and information
as
the identified components. This in tum with
impulsive feedback
goes
against
the real rule
of
capitalism
with
maximisation
of
gratification by undermining the differences between
imaginary and real articulations. The craze for immediate fulfillment
of
needs lead to the under-estimation
of
morality where it is loosely reinforced
in the human interaction which has potential
to
influence governance wit4
catastrophic consequences,
as
it is not intrinsically bound up with the ethical
considerations. There is no clear consensus
as
a complete set
of
ethical
rules;
however
its
inherent
contextual
specificity
is
inextricably
intermingled with humanitarian consideration by egalitarian values. The
repercussions
of
ethical crisis are seen in the ambit
of
corruption. The
globalisation driven human impulses are not only tantamount with the
immediate gratification
of
needs but are also constraining on the human
mind to get hold
of
unattainable resources beyond normal access. The
repudiation
of
minimum ethics in public life becomes the mantra to lead
the good life which gradually gets social acceptance in the eschatological
belief system.
Beneath the misbalance, the inertia
of
economic problem operates.
This problem has two parts.
First,
human and material resources must be
allocated toward the production
of
the goods and services in quantities
sufficient
to
satisfy at least the minimum expectations
of
society's members.
Second, the resulting output must be distributed among the population.
The allocation and distribution systems must be consistent with the society's
shared norms
of
justice and personal freedom. Both must be congruent
with the political structure that reflects desired values.
If
an economy fails
to satisfy the material goals, society will be poverty-stricken.
If
it fails to
satisfy the moral criteria, significant segments
of
population will consider
the system to be unfair. In either case, the result is misery and social
instability. 1 The
~ocial
instability creates a fathomless chasm between the
public and administration. This duality further intensifies the dissatisfaction
1Pichler, JA., "Capitalism in America: Moral Issues and Public Policy", in an edited
book by George, R. T and Joseph A Pichler, Oxford University Press, New York,
p.
19-39,
1978.
GLOBALISATION,
ETHICS
AND
PUBLIC
ADMINISTRATION
/
689
SAKET
BIHARI
with the sense
of
cultural schizophrenia where real and unreal are enmeshed.
Sociology
of
Ethical Crisis
The ethical crisis is driven by the cultural conditions which gets
prepared on the diffusionist model. Therefore, its preparation is conditioned
on several implicit and explicit forces. The scarcity and an objective to be
figured out on the map
of
popular culture is one
of
the effective reasons in
the sociological parlance. In this connection the human activities are not
systematised to get the needs fulfilled but to symbolically represent the
needs with esteem, status and power. The poor and the deprived in
developing
countries such as
India
are constantly
exposed
to
the
blandishments
of
consumerism based telecasts. Consumerism kindles the
elements
of
selfishness and greed among people. In our society, the success
of
a person is determined by the consumer goods which one has to
commandeer and control. There are no questions asked about how the
wealth is earned whereas the Gandhian philosophy reflects not only the
goal but also the means applied in attaining it.
~
obligation driven social
pressure on people to somehow become rich seems to have created a
perverted sense
of
values in life. Getting on honour and honesty seem to
have become the instrumentality in the modem Indian life. The pervasive
nature
of
corruption seems to make it much more acceptable. As an Indian
child starts his life right from his admission to Kindergarden schools and
colleges, he sees a tremendous impact
of
money giving fuel to the fire in
the realm
of
corruption and its related tremors. Teachers seem to have
more fidelity for the tuition than teaching in the class. There may be
exceptions too, but the iconic value
of
money in the school education has
seemingly transformed education into a commercial enterprise.
In
sociological terms, we are in the transitional stage particularly in connection
with the basic social institutions. One
of
them happens to be the family
institution. Though the structural existence
of
the joint family system is
not a myth, the ever expanding nuclear family system is gradually becoming
a reality for every household. The affection linked centredness
of
the family
endorses nepotism. Thus, we derive that every corrupt person is likely to
be a person who is very much attached to his family and wants to earn not
only for him, but enough to last several generations. The caste centred
approach has become accentuated
becau~e
our politics has $hifted from
ideology based politics to the times
of
identity based politics. The Indian
politics is an exercise in caste arithmetic. This has created an environment
in our society where corruption is not only looked upon in a benign manner
but is actively supported and encouraged. The sanskritisation dictum reveals
that a lower caste denizen rises high economically, by adopting the practice
of
the frequently mobile twice born caste. One major social development
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in the post independence India is the affirmative action by way
of
reservation
to achieve social justice. By a curious twist
of
perception, this seems to
have had a sanction for those who come to power on the ground
of
social
justice to indulge in corruption. The ways in which social justice institutions
have started functioning seem to give a boost to this trend.2 Therefore it is
pertinent to note that corruption driven development is never helpful for
the development
of
society.
It
keeps on reducing the richness
of
life with
its deterministic paradigm.
The Central Value Narrative
In order to abate the degree
of
corruption, ethics based governance is
the only panacea which requires a deep sensitising based training to the
personnel
of
governance the way they are trained in other subjects. As a
matter
of
fact, governance system should go hand in hand with core values
such as: transparency, accountability, ethics, professionalism and leadership.
To
practice transparency in public life, the administration is to ensure for
the citizens, the accessibility
of
information wtych is deemed public.
It
· should be a specific goal
of
any governance system, and to be taken into
account
when
conducting
all
public
business
irrespective
of
any
impediment.
If
the goal is to serve the citizens to the best
of
possible ability,
avoiding or failing to achieve transparency would cause significant harm
to the relationship between the system and the people which it aims to
serve.
The lore
of
accountability adheres to a standard
of
professionalism in
the workplace. Additionally, it means to understand that our professional
activities are being funded by the citizens
of
this country. In fact, public
employees are held responsible by citizens for upholding the mission
of
their organisation. Accountability is an important aspect
of
the functionality
of
any
org~sation
whether be it public or private. Essentially, it reminds
individuals that while they are employed by a professional organisation
they will be held liable for their actions. Professionalism is an important
core value when considering the prestigious nature
of
positions in the field
of
public administration.
In
essence, administrators are hired to
be
visionaries, in addition to being stewards
of
public funds and information.
To
be professional is to understand the importance
of
our jobs in the public
sector, to have respect for ourselves and the organisations that we represent,
and to act accordingly. Each individual is to deal with issues, whether
positive or negative, in a mild and straight forward manner whenever
possible. Without professionalism in public administration, the overall
2Shanna, S L., "Towards a Sociological Theory
of
Corruption", Contributions to Indian
Social Science, JASS/ Quarterly,
Vol.
31, January-March, p. 1-7, 2012.
GLOBALISATION,
ETHICS
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ADMINISTRATION
I
691
SAKET
BIHARI
perception
of
our work and our organisations would undoubtedly falter.
Each public administrator is asked to adhere to a code
of
ethics. In order to
function properly as an organisation, the administrator must be held to a
high degree
of
ethical standards. Specifically, ethics call for administrators
to display integrity, and be mindful
of
laws and regulations. This must be
accomplished in order to successfully practice and promote the transparency
of
government.- Unfortunately, the importance
of
ethics in government is
usually reflected
when
public officials violate laws
or
regulations.
Leadership is also an important value to be considered by a good governance
system. There are few organisations in the public sector that are able to
flourish without a proper veneer
of
leadership. Practicing leadership is
setting an example
of
professionalism for staff members and possessing
the motivation to achieve organisational goals. In doing so, leaders must
have the ability to recognise the talents
of
individuals and allow those
talents to be utilised for the betterment
of
the organisation. Admittedly,
leadership can become a balancing act between becoming an active team
member and taking charge
of
overall operations. As· a leader, it is
of
utmost
importance to stay connected with staff members, but to act in a managerial
role when called upon.
The Core Conundrum
We
have witnessed. the emerging trends
of
value erosion with special
reference to ethics in the system
of
governance under the influence
of
the
globalisation process. Apart from the significance
of
values, any governance
system is managed by policies, guidelines, and systems. In fact, a policy is
a principle
or
rule to direct decisions and achieves balanced outcomes. A
policy is a statement
of
intent, and is implemented as a procedure.
It
is
generally adopted by the senior governance body within an organisation.·
Policies can assist in both subjective and objective decision making. A
guideline is a statement which determines a course
of
action. A guideline
aims at streamlining particular processes according to a set routine
or
sound
practice. Guidelines are not binding and are not enforced. Therefore, the
role
of
morality gains reasonable ground for the shaping
of
the policy
components which contextually gets reflected in the ambit
of
value system.
The reality
of
ethics is easily decipherable to those who come with some
degree
of
socio-cultural conditioning.
The
social conditioning is an
important feature
of
anticipatory socialisation. The socialisation process
in this term is conditioned on the quality
of
socialisation. The administrator
is socialised to be disciplined and obedient. This pattern
of
socialisation is
congruent
with
the
legally
oriented,
goal-oriented
rationality
and
hierarchical chain
of
command which characterises modem administration.
Modem administration has advantage that through this structure regularity
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and predictability is created for civil society. The citizen's interaction with
the administration should not be based upon sex, race, or other social group
membership. In this way, modem administration promotes the modem
stipulation that all people are equal.
It
is however, the very same
administrative construct which promotes the loss on the part
of
the
administration
of
a sense
of
personal responsibility for his action. In modem
society, the principle
of
personal responsibility for one's action is a
fundamental principle, which no one can avoid.This principle is anchored
in the legal institution
of
modem society. There is then, an internal
contradiction in modem administration between obedience and being an
authority unto oneself. This leads to the issue
of
how it is possible on the
one hand to resist the tendency for the administrator to obediently disappear
into his role, and on the other hand, promote the administrator's personal
responsibility.
3
In the normal learning process, the quantitative evaluation measurement
process only identifies the real value and not the ideal one. The real value
implies the score achieved by a student in the different subject tastes while
the ideal value denotes the subject based achievement coupled with morality
performance.
It
is also true that the globalisation
of
exchanges puts an end
to the universality
of
values. It is the triumph
of
unipolar thought over
universal thinking. What globalisation involves first and foremost is the
market, the promiscuity
of
all goods and exchanges, and the perpetual
flow
of
money. Culturally, it represents the promiscuity
of
all signs and
values. For the succession and worldwide dissemination
of
indiscriminate
:i;naterial
through the networks is no other than promiscuity. There is no
longer any difference between the global and universal: the universal itself
is globalised, and democracy and human rights circulate exactly like any
other global product. In the wake
of
transition from universal to the global,
a simultaneous homogenisation and fragmentation
of
the system is noticed
ad
infinitum. The global interconnection
of
networks is coupled with a
dislocation
of
the fragments.
It
is not the local that succeeds the central,
but rather the dislocated and it is not the decentred that succeeds the
concentric, but rather the eccentric. Relegation and the exclusion are
inscribed in the very logic
of
globalisation.4 In fact, 'the global is not the
same as the universal. The universal postulates the existence
of
a place
other than the global, where the most vital exchanges
of
our time doubtless
takes place. The global is only an infinitesimal person
of
the universal. It
3Larsen, Ojvind, "Administration, Ethics and Democracy", Ashgate PubliShing Ltd.,
England, p. 93-94, 2000.
4Baudrillard, J., "From the Universal to the Singular: The Violence
of
the Global", in a
book edited by Binde, J., (2004), "The Future
of
Values", UNESCO, p. 20, 2004.
GLOBALISATION, ETHICS AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION I 693
SAKE!' BIHARI
is by claiming to embody the whole
of
human exchanges that any culture
claiming to be global becomes inhuman.
If
there is any one world, it would
be unbearable.
A human universe requires the existence
of
at least two worlds: a battle
field and the shelter, an outward and a return journey, a past and a future,
an earth and a heaven, velocity and slowness, sunrise and sunset, east and
west, a point
of
departure and a port
of
destination, an origin and a horizon.
If
our lives are strained explosively towards the future, we fall apart; and
if we exist only in the recollection
of
the past and thus we become fixed. A
dual time is needed to humanise the world. A near and far, a here and
elsewhere are necessary to establish a home and give the world a local
habitation. Our imagination needs two worlds,
if
we are not to be exiled
and banished from the world, just as we need the world's full presence in
order to dream
of
conceiving another.
5
The root
of
the ethical crisis is not sudden but has a summary expression
of
the social and the institutionally conveyed complexity
of
a particular
situation. In certain educational patterns, moral education is given much
importance and failing in the subject declares a stringent failure irrespective
of
one's better performance in other subjects. The inculcation
of
ethical
values in an individual has to play a very significant role. Weber also
believed that "capitalism consolidates; economically rational action is
wrested from its original religious constraints and becomes a goal in itself'.
6
After delimiting communicative action in relation to other forms
of
action, it can be differentiated from other different types
of
action and
their respective validity claims. The three ideal types
of
speech acts are
the regulative, the connotative and the expressive. Regulative speech acts
revolve around social relation where what is examined is construed as
a·
correct trend to identify the inherent intricacies in Indian ethics and
governance in the realm
of
cultural practices.
The Rigor
of
Inequality
Governance
has
politically
been
steered
through
democratic
institutions, which function in such a manner so as to make the questioning
of
the relationship between ethics and administration unnecessary. The
materialistic interpretation
of
social life has a bearing on the ethics and its
practices
of
governance. The core issues emanating from ethics sound to
be on the crossroads when laying on the impact
of
globalisati?n on
5Beji, H., ''The Culture
of
the Inhuman", (ed) Binde, J (2004), ''The Future
of
Values",
UNESCO, p. 33, 2004.
6Weber,
Max.,
''The Theory
of
Social and Economic Organization", The Free Press,
New York, p. 30-56, 1964.
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governance.
It
does not only influence the quality
of
governance but also
allures the governance scheme to be defined
in
the materialistic orientation.
In this context, the administrators' ethical dilemma becomes apparent; the
moment contradictory demands are made on the personage. In this situation,
the administration is brought into a conflict where he can no longer remain
exclusively in his role. He is forced to personally take a position on how
he or she will act. It is precisely in this meaning that ethics appears to play
a significant role. However, the ethical congruity derived from cultural
continuity has to play a role and therefore, it becomes the personal position
taken on a real matter in a situation for which direct prescriptions based on
ordinary social norms or customs are lacking.
It
is commonly assumed that globalisation casts its political effects as
both revolutionary and contradictory.
In
a
power
shift
of
historic
proportions, the voice comes from the common counter that we are entering
into an age
of
the virtual state which in course drains political authority
from nation-states, and prolongs the dominant form
of
political organisation
in world politics. The state's monopoly
of
familiar governance functions
is ending, as governance migrates up to supranational organisations; down
to newly empowered regions, provinces, and municipalities; and laterally
to such private actors as multinational firms and transnational non-
governmental organisations which attain public responsibilities.
In
this
context, globalisation not only transfers governance
in
conflicting
directions, it also forces a convergence
of
state institutions and policies. In
exercising their residual authority, states are constrained to look and act
alike. Although a transfer
of
governance to sub-national units may increase
democratic accountability, governance changes and the accompanying
pressures for convergence are more often seen as a threat to the ability
of
societies to chart their own democratically determined courses.
The Binary
of
Personal Values
and
Professional Values
The dilemmas connected to ethics are also about the conflicting
situation between personal and professional values.
It
is like a role conflict
when the role set is in the state
of
disagreement. Indeed, personal values
and professional values are generally found in antagonistic form because
of
the specified obligations attached to it. 'When one enters the profession
of
social work, there are many values to learn. One is that personal opinions
get put aside for professional ones. This means for anything a person
believes is wrong or inferior, such as having a different color skin, loving
a person
of
the same sex, having a different religion, abortion,
or
any
of
many other values and ideas, we are asked to put this aside in order to treat
the person with whom we are working. This can be one
of
the hardest parts
of
being a social worker. Our own values are set and usually a very important
GLOBALISATION, ETHICS AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION I 695
SAKET
BIHARI
part
of
ourselves. Social work does not ask one to change or deny those
values, but rather encourages one to be aware
of
them so that they do not
interfere with treatment. It also happens that we are asked to work with
many persons who may not have the same training, or may not agree with
this training, which espouses professional values over personal ones. This
means that we may have clients, co-workers, peers, and employees who
we will supervise, who not only may have strong values that we disagree
with, but also may be people who are very vocal about their opinions.
If
one's personal values are more important than the discussion
of
choices
and informed decision making, one might want to think about whether he
or she would want those values respected by others. Social workers are
expected to embrace a diversity
of
values and people. Learning to do this
is a process which takes time and a willingness to do so.7 In order to bridge
the
gap
between professional and personal values, we need to get
accustomed to multiplicity
of
values in the accommodative sense. Moreover,
in case
of
the conflict, we ought to go hand in hand with professional
values for standing by ethics in the domain
of
public administration. The
implication
of
principled behavior in maintaining the ethics has been found
an important step. Principled behaviour is propelled by self actualisation
in relation to the past experiences.
CONCLUSION
Globalisation has a linkage with ethics especially in the case
of
administration. The emanated influence
of
globalisation on ethics is obvious
because
of
its universal existence. Ethics requires a self motivating and
disciplined orientation to the job, an administrator carries out. The crisis
in ethics functions as the impediments for the holistic and comprehensive
development
of
society. In society, we find the intrinsic existence
of
inequality by virtue
of
economic, social and cultural capitals. Those who
are blessed, tend to get an exclusive stead in the social hierarchy. The
social hierarchy in this connection is not merely a cultural edifice, but, has
also the comprehensive implications for the every walk
of
life. The idea is
to be ethically comprehensive in our approach so that we may actually live
in the world which would be spiritually cultivated and ecologically
sensitive. Thus idealism need not be equated with want
of
graft in the
system but it ought to refer to the notion
of
an avowed normalcy which
ought to be the bread and butter diction
of
the mortal denizens.
We
may
7Pamela
J.
Wileshere, "Personal Values, Professional Questions'', (Online: Web), URL:
http://www.socialworker.com/values.htm, Accessed
on
August 20, 2013.
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vouch for more
of
transparency, accountability, professionalism, ethics
and leadership
for
making the governance more sound, vibrant and
inspiring. An anecdote to conclude is to exemplify: a father wishing to
pacify his son in revolt against the chaos asked the son to put it back together
in his own way, thinking he would be unable to do so. Yet 30 minutes later
the map had been pieced before his father had tom it up, he had noticed
that the map bore the portrait
of
a man on the back. So all he had to do was
to repair the man, and in course
of
repairing, he repaired the world.
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