Management Case Studies, Essay Example

Case Study 1: City Manager Asks for Lower Pay Raise

In this case study, it is important to note that the city manager has the democratic agreement behind the 10 percent pay rise. Accepting the pay rise would also be legal and ethical, as it is based on the performance of the city. Still, if all employees’ pay is based on performance, then the rise should be equal. Bailey (1964, p. 38) states that it is an “essential mental attitude” to recognize “the ambiguity of all men and public policies”. While something would be lawful, it does not mean that it does meet one person’s moral standards. If the manager of the city has a democratic approach towards leadership they would certainly not accept a higher pay rise than the rest of the employees.

Personally, based on the level of salary and benefits that come with the role of a city manager, I would not accept the ten percent pay rise. A man’s sense of justice, mentioned by Bailey (1964, p. 41) calls for fairness, and I would not feel that accepting a higher salary increase would be fair on the rest of the employees, who have helped me achieve the goals set by the whole public organization. Kennedy & Malatesta (2010,  p. 164), the ASPA code clearly states that managers and public employees need to “promote ethical organizations” and “demonstrate personal integrity”. By refusing the ten percent increase and asking for the same increase as other employees, I would not only act according to my ethical norms, but also comply with the recommendations of ASPA.

Fairness would be the first principle that would be applied in this case, but the code of ethics’ principle would also be applied: “conscience forms a critical role in choosing among courses of action”. (ASPA, 1981)

Case Study 2: Urban Planning in Windham County

My responsibility as a young planner would be to call the whistleblowing helpline of the city’s administration. It is my moral and ethical obligation to do so. The Code of Ethics clearly states that “public administrators are not engaged merely in preventing wrong, but in pursuing right through timely and energetic execution of their responsibilities”. (ASPA, 1981) Even though I would need to respect my superior, the fact that he is not in the committee, but is still involved in the planning is alarming.

If I fail to report the suspicion regarding the report, I commit an ethical violation and would be later investigated and prosecuted. According to the Whistleblowing Protection Act (1989), my position would be protected. Even if I wanted to get a promotion and decided to keep the information to myself, I would not comply with the code, which is clearly stating that I should “serve the public beyond serving myself”.

I would not contact a newspaper to provide them with information, as there are no guarantees that the matter would be thoroughly and appropriately investigated. I would trust the whistleblowing helpline to provide me with guidance and information about the next steps. I should also “respect and protect privileged information”, according to ASPA (1981).

I would report that I believe the study I submitted included correct predictions, and I suspect that the main motivation of the city management to get a new report was to get a quick decision in favor of the TriState project, which is in the interest of the investors and city officials.

By reporting the discrepancies, I would serve the interest of the public. Decision about urban planning is supposed to be made based on correct and cross-checked information, reports and facts. If I believe that this is not the case and a decision is about to be made based on biased reports, thousands of residents could be disadvantaged.

References

Bailey, S. (1964) Ethics and public service. Public Administration Review. Vol. 24, No. 4 (Dec., 1964), pp. 234-243

Kennedy, S., Malatesta, D. (2010) Safeguarding the public trust: can administrative ethics be taught? Journal of Public Affairs Education. 16 (2) pp. 161-180

The American Society for Public Administration (1981) Code of ethics. Retrieved from: http://www.main.org/aspa/code.htm