Ethical Dilemma: The following is an ethical dilemma case, read and answer the f

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Ethical Dilemma:

The following is an ethical dilemma case, read and answer the following question: "How can Nwankwo maintain his professional objectivity in the face of these pressures?"

Ethical Dilemma Some of the most common ethical dilemmas with which public servants are confronted are listed below Administrative discretion Corruption Nepotism Information leaks . Public accountability . Policy dilemmas Ethical Case Nwankwo is a senior public servant who has worked in two state public service departments overa twenty-year period. Prior to this he was employed as a chartered accountant. In the course of performing his duties, involving primarily monetary and budgeting issues, Nwankwo becomes aware that public revenue is being used inappropriately While he is not directly responsible for this aspect of the budget, he raised his concerns about the channelling of funds from one part of the budget to another to Uche, the head of Division Nwankwo learns that not only is Uche aware of this practice, but also that he condones it. Not long after, Nwankwo is summoned to talk to Uche and to the Director-general about the issue In preparation for this meeting Nwankwo prepares a short paper that identifies his understanding of the key issues and presents this to Uche and the Director-General. Due to the politically sensitive nature of the issue, Nwankwo is told that the matter is not within his jurisdiction and therefore he should 'keep his nose out of it' This advice is based on the fact that the incumbent government will not tolerate questions about how it puts its budget together but that it also faces electoral defeat if the matter were to be made 'public' Nwankwo and his two supervisors are acutely aware of the tensions between the department, the minister and the government. This unease manifests itself around the advice the department provides the minister with, and the advice that the minister and the government want to hear in particular: After

Explanation / Answer

The fact that Nwankwo is a Chartered Accountant, it is rather evident that whatever professional ethics Nwankwo is pondering upon, has been all derived from his training as an Accountant. However, his ethical dilemma pertains to the authoritarian power of his Supervisor and other seniors that limits him from being the ‘Whistle-blower’ against the unethical conduction of misappropriation of Public funds. However, Nwankwo believes in conducting his profession ethically in the Public Service Department for serving to the best interest of the Public. It is a natural expectation of the Public that these public servants would undertake their activities in an ethical way by utilizing the funds in the best possible manner so that the Public stands to gain by the efforts put in by the Public employees. On the other hand, when these funds are misappropriated and misused, each of the Societal force, be it the Government department themselves or the tax-payers, everyone loses something or the other. Moreover, the tension over the Government Department and the Ministers based on the advice which is to be given, also plays a significant role in politicizing the matter. Nwankwo’s ethical dilemma worsens due to Organizational set-up and bureaucracy in the system and the inherited perceived notion of these Departments in determining what is apparently a legal or an illegal decision. Further, the culture of the Organization also discourages the ethical conduct thereby impeding the ethical decision making process. The dilemma becomes hence severe to choose between the professional code of ethics to that of his role in the Public service department thereby amounting to the risk of his commitment to both the fields, thereby creating a sense of guilt on his mind. In addition, there are conflicting values to add to his ethical dilemma which includes obeying of his supervisor or following his personal ethical values or being responsible to the Community at large or being dutiful to the Government in force. Further, even his professional ethics is clashing with that of his career goals. But with Nwakwo’s decision of not acting at all, speaks about the analysis of the repercussions that he undertook and the impact of the decision on himself, his supervisors as well as on to the Government, if he takes the side of the Public. Had he taken the matter to the minister over the advice of his Supervisor, then he would have heavily risked his professional career and hence the dilemma.

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