Public sector ethics in the United Kingdom: an overview

Abstract

The article starts with a brief and concise definition of public sector ethics. It traces the origin of public sector ethics in the United Kingdom (UK). Also, corruption and unethical conduct amongst others are in focus too. An analysis of the expected ethical standards in the public sector and mechanisms used to maintain such standards are also in focus. The mechanisms include codes of conduct and the use of regulatory bodies. To remedy the defects inherent in the extant public sector ethics in the UK, some recommendations will be made. The conclusion will posit that the public sector in the UK has higher ethical standards than the private or business sector in the UK. This paper is a general review of the extant literature on public sector ethics in the United Kingdom and its main finding is that public sector ethics are an integral part of the organizational structure of the public sector in the United Kingdom.

Keywords: Corruption, public sector ethics, transparency, codes, regulatory bodies, ethical standards, United Kingdom