Donald E~~~

It was timely to have the “Do Unto Others” conference on ethics in govern- ment and business, and it is now time to publish the conference proceed- ings. The conference was timely in that citizens, in a world where democracy is breaking out all over, are asking pointed questions about people in positions of trust. Citizens are demanding that public officials put the public interest before their own interests and act in a fair and reasonable manner. It is time to have the thoughts, ideas and counsel of the conference in a format that will permit reflection and analysis, not just of the content of the papers, but also of our personal response to the issues raised.

The conference presented an ambitious program, weighted towards the one-way dissemination of ideas, views and positions, but most of the participants found ways to meet others, to listen, and to learn from each other as they sought to make sense of the meaning of the conference theme “Do Unto Others.”

I have chosen to divide this introductory paper into two parts; the first part will provide an overview report and the second part will provide personal reflections on the conference.

Overview The papers in this volume are divided into eleven sections dealing with various ethical issues in government and business. Underlying the discussions of these issues is the notion that ethics consists of criteria for making judgments rather than of particular rules or theories. These ethical criteria should be viewed as a set of factors that citizens, as well as those in positions of public trust, consider as they examine decisions and policies. The several sections of this volume seek, by principle and example, to make ethical criteria explicit. However, the real work of establishing the criteria belongs to the reader who critically reads and appropriates for himself or herself the thoughts presented.

Do unto others: overview and reflections

The author is Executive Director of Strategic Education and Development, Human Resources Secretariat, Government of Ontario.

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DONALD EVANS

The ethical dimension The papers by Elaine Todres and Arden Haynes paint with broad strokes the ethical issues facing government and business. Haynes notes that for the private sector fulfilling regulatory requirements is not enough; business needs to recognize its accountability to multiple stakeholders. The challenge is to find methods to reconcile the competing claims and values of these diverse stakeholders. In addition, the establishment of a level ethical playing field is necessary for the development of meaningful partnerships between the public and private sectors.

Todres reminds us that ethics is hard to define and is often linked to self-interest; however, in a common sense way, unethical behaviour is easy to spot. Like Haynes, Todres notes the requirement to consider and involve stakeholders in decision-making. Exploration of themes like co-regulation and co-monitoring are central to her notions of partnership and empowerment. In the next essay, George Thompson draws on his experience as a lawyer, teacher, judge and public servant to deal openly and honestly with the issue of professional morality in the professions. In the final paper in this section, Martin Barkin provides a thought-provoking discussion of health care issues as a means of illuminating the need for tough choices guided by ethical guidelines.

Ethics and human resource management The papers in this section cover a wide range of human resource issues in both the public and private sectors. Ian Clark explains the fundamental bargains, based on probity and trust, between and among cabinet ministers, public servants and the public; he also explains the fundamental values to which public servants should adhere. Wayne Britt, in his examination of the ethics of human resource management in the private sector, predicts that the 1990s will be a period of unprecedented emphasis by business leaders - and their employees - on ethics and integrity. The final two papers in this section focus on diversity and equity as important outcomes of ethical human resource management in both government and business. The business perspective, provided by Michele Darling, contains the argument that employment equity is desirable, not only because it is ethical but also because it is a sound business strategy.

Ethics in practice Sections three through seven cover ethical issues relating to the specific problem areas of conflict of interest, whistleblowing, lobbying, information management and the environment.

John Langford’s paper on moonlighting and mobility provides an excellent summary of issues and current remedies with respect to two variations of conflict of interest. The next four sections contain thoughtful

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contributions on the ethical elements of whistleblowing, lobbying, informa- tion management and the environment. All four problem areas are examined from the public and private sector perspectives. The papers on information management discuss both privacy rights and the public’s right to know. The papers on the environment include two macro-level examin- ations, one on business and one on government, as well as a treatment of the issue of land use planning and development. The authors strive to find guiding ethical principles that will permit development that is sustainable and that will make the environment less vulnerable.

Ethical education The last part of this volume contains four sections dealing with mechanisms for promoting, protecting, inculcating, and informing us about ethical behaviour. Discussions of various policy instruments, codes of conduct, and watchdog agencies are presented. The areas of ethics education and research are explored and current efforts are described. The papers are useful not only for their description of ground already ploughed and sown, but also for their reminder that much has yet to be done if a bountiful harvest is to be reaped.

Personal reflections After reflecting on the conference and rereading the papers, I concluded that there was a strong need for more conferences like this one. I offer the following observations in the hope that this conference - and this volume - represent not an ending, but a beginning, of a sustained study of the ethical dimension of behaviour in government and business.

I t is important to provide more opportunities for people to think through their ethical positions relative to the issues facing them. The discussion of policies and programs in the absence of opportunities to examine and debate their ethical implications is regrettable. There is a need to reach farther up the conceptual ladder. For example, it would be valuable to examine the ethical discourse informing government employ- ment equity policies that make it acceptable to use the purchasing power of government to enforce these policies and, thereby, to engage in a form of social engineering.

The issues of role models and of written codes are addressed several times. In my view, we need to acknowledge the possibility that written codes sometimes tend to disguise unethical practices and that ethics in an organization is sometimes defined by what the boss says or does. Why is this so? Perhaps we need a sociology of ethics to inform our discussions. Also, we require a clear understanding of the use of power and power relations in an organization and their role in defining the ethical ground on which we stand.

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Other questions come to mind. For example, what provisions do we make for ethical failures? How do we manage ethical failures in an ethical way? In listening to the responses of a conference panel presented with ethical vignettes, I was struck by the overwhelming strength of the moral voice ofjustice and principle and by the almost total lack of the moral voice of caring and relationship. Could this be an example of gender bias in our ethical thinking?

To what extent are the ethical issues and dilemmas we discuss a result of our being in a prison house of language, where we confuse frame with context? What happens to our approaches when the content becomes the frame and the frame the content? It is evident that we still haven’t found a way to discuss ethics adequately; we seem to be seeking a common language, but we need to reflect on how an ethics discourse is created, managed, maintained and changed. We need to explore how ethics differs from our parochial interests and self-interests.

To improve our ability to think and act ethically, it is helpful to remember that unreflective answers to specific problems or incidents that are decontexted have a tendency to minimize ethical discussion. This is certainly a cautionary note to teachers in the use of case studies that have insufficient context.

We need to reflect on two issues: what to believe (epistemology), and how to behave (ethics). Ethics relates to the ordering of our relations with others and tends to contrast right with wrong ways to behave; ethics is concerned with the grounds and limits of moral obligation. Consideration of both issues needs to be based on prior discourse as to what it is that we care about.

What then must we do? I offer the following suggestions for consideration: - Capture the impetus created by the Do Unto Others conference and by

this volume to build on the start made in discussing ethics in govern- ments and corporations.

- Encourage and support efforts to do “ethical analysis” of policies and programs that will reveal the ethical assumptions underlying and informing them.

- Encourage and support discussions in the workplace regarding ethics: that is, promote ethical education and reward ethical behaviour.

- Find ways to reclaim and restore “ethical failures” and mend the harm done to the public trust.

- Work towards a common language regarding ethical discourse; clarify the relationships between and among ethics, values, morality, law, deviance and crime.

- Encourage joint ventures - for example, the co-sponsorship of the Do

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Unto Others conference - to continue the dialogue and work together on this important theme. I recommend the papers in this volume to you and remind you that this

conference was a beginning, not an ending. This volume is a generator, designed to propel us forward along the road to leadership of an informed integrity.

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