Ethics in Public Administration

ETHICS IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION A. Introduction Administration is a science that studies the state and the public interest and is required to be responsible for the public it serves. Public bureaucracy is essentially a service to the community. But in fact, many government bureaucrats do not have high competence and accountability in carrying out the duties, authorities and responsibilities given to them. The bureaucracy is the institution most highlighted by the public regarding performance and ethics. Public attention is directed at practices that deviate (maladministration) from administrative ethics in carrying out their duties and responsibilities. This shows the importance of ethics in public administration. Ethics and human behavior are interrelated so that they can be accounted for. B. Definition of Public Administration Ethics Based on encyclopedias, ethics is referred to as the science of morality that determines how humans live in society; what is good and what is bad. Etymologically, the word "ethics" which comes from the Greek ethos means habit or character. Ethics is a habit, custom or morals and character so that it can be known that ethical issues are always related to human habits or character (as individuals or in certain positions), both good habits and bad habits. From the above definition, it can be seen that ethics is closely related to public administration. Philosophy and ethics are always directly related even to values, and morals while public administration is related to policy making, decision making, and policy implementation. C. The Urgency of Public Administration Ethics Public administration ethics can be traced to the paradigm of public administration science. The perspective between the dichotomy of politics and administration emphasizes that the government has two different functions, namely political functions and administrative functions. Politics is always related to making policies or statements that are the desire of the state. Meanwhile, the administrative function is related to the implementation of these policies. Based on this paradigm, ethics is needed in public administration. Two important points contained in ethics, namely: first as a guideline and reference for public administrators in carrying out their duties and authorities; second, public administration ethics (bureaucratic ethics) as a standard for evaluating the behavior and actions of public administrators. D. Approaches to Public Administration Ethics There are several approaches taken by ethics in determining the good and bad of administrative studies. Among them are (Poedjawijatna, 1986: 139) as follows: 1. The flow of socialism. According to this school, the customs of the local community will determine the good and bad of human behavior. 2. The school of hedonism. (hedone is the feeling of pleasure). Good deeds are those that will bring pleasure, enjoyment or satisfaction to humans. A good deed is anything that brings delicacy, pleasure and satisfaction of biological. 3. The school of intuitionism. This school assumes that every individual human being has an inner instinct that can distinguish good and bad with a glance. This power can react differently, due to the influence of time and environment, but it is basically the same and is rooted in the human body. 4. Utilitarianism. This school of thought holds that what is good is what is useful. Useful for the individual, society, and the environment. 5. The school of vitalism. Strength reflects the goodness in human beings. Strength and power possessed by a human being that is used to subjugate others who are weak is considered a good thing. 6. The school of religiosity. Good deeds are those done in accordance with God's will. Whereas bad deeds are those that are not done according to God's will. 7. Evolutionism. According to this school, everything that happens in nature must undergo evolution, namely developing from what it is to its perfection. The ethical approach in public administration can be divided into two, as follows: 1) Teleological approach. According to this approach, good and bad or what the administration should do is the 'value of benefits' that will be obtained or produced. This approach is divided into two types, namely ethical egoism and utilitarianism. Ethical egoism develops the good for the self. Personal power is the right goal for a government administrator. Whereas utilitarianism seeks the best for the many. 2) Deontological approach. The deontological approach is the opposite of the teleological approach. Ethics and morals according to this approach are the main principles in administration. E. Values of Public Administration Ethics Values in public administration ethics that can be used as references and guidelines for public administration organizers in carrying out their duties and authorities. Widodo (2001: 251-258) describes it as follows. 1) First, the value of efficiency. The value of efficiency means not being wasteful. Public bureaucracy (public administration) is said to be good if it has efficient attitudes, behavior, and actions (not wasteful). Public resources should not be used wastefully, should not be used for projects that do not touch the interests of the wider community, or misused to enrich themselves. 2) The value of distinguishing private property from office property. A good public bureaucracy is a public bureaucracy that can put positions in place and distinguish between office property and private property. This means that the bureaucracy will not use office property for personal interests. 3) Impersonal value. Cooperative relationships contained by the organization should be carried out formally (impersonal) and not personally (personal). Impersonal relationships must be carried out to avoid accentuating the element of feeling rather than the element of ratio in carrying out their duties and responsibilities in accordance with the rules and regulations that exist in the organization. 4) The value of the merytal system. Merytal system is an employee recruitment system that is not based on kinship, patrimonial relationships (children, nephews, relatives, alumni, regions, groups, etc.), but is based on the knowledge, skills, abilities and experience possessed by the person concerned. 5) Responsible value. This value relates to the accountability of the public bureaucracy in carrying out its duties and authorities. 6) The value of accountability. The value of accountability is related to accountability in carrying out their duties and authorities. A good bureaucracy is a public bureaucracy that is full of responsibility. 7) Responsiveness value. This value relates to responsiveness to complaints, problems, public aspirations. A good bureaucracy is one that has a high responsiveness and is quick to respond to public complaints, problems and aspirations. In addition to the ethical values above, a code of ethics can also be used as a guide for public administrators in carrying out their duties and authorities. Code of ethics (Suyamto, 1989: 32-40) is a tool to support the achievement of the goals of an organization or sub-organization or even groups that have not been bound in an organization. Basically, a code of ethics is an ethical law. Ethical law is usually made by an organization or a group, as a benchmark about the mental attitude that must be obeyed by its members in carrying out their duties.