The Responsible Administrator: An Approach to Ethics for the Administrative Role

Cooper, Terry L.

ISBN 10: 155542290X / ISBN 13: 9781555422905

Published by Jossey-Bass, 1990

About this Item

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Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Responsible Administrator: An Approach to Ethics for the Administrative Role
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass
• Publication Date: 1990
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 155542290X
• ISBN 13: 9781555422905
• Binding: hardcover
• Edition: 3rd Edition
• Condition: Good

About this title

Synopsis

"This is an important work, especially in these times when administrative ethics are getting more attention. It is readable and timely."
––The Journal of Academic Librarianship

Since its original publication, The Responsible Administrator has become the standard resource for public administrators seeking to systematically confront and address ethical issues and incorporate them into their decision–making and management choices. In administrative ethics courses, according to the Working Group on Ethics Education of the American Society for Public Administration, the single most commonly used book is Terry Cooper′s The Responsible Administrator.

In this thoroughly revised and updated fourth edition, Cooper expands on and uncovers many current issues relevant to administrative ethics. He presents a design approach to administrative ethics, emphasizing the connection between decision making and actual practice within an organization. Cooper offers new insight on postmodernism, explaining how the problems organizations now face have been intensified by postmodern conditions, and describes the relationship between ethics and the emerging principal–agent theory. The new edition also features a large number of up–to–date case studies and examples.

The theoretical framework presented in this powerful resource is clearly grounded in practice. Featured techniques help managers consider all the factors involved in a decision, ensuring that they balance professional, personal, and organizational values. The case studies and examples in this edition illustrate the techniques that work and those that don′t.

The Responsible Administrator helps both experienced and novice public managers become effective decision makers, providing them with a solid understanding of the role and importance of ethics in public service–and the framework to incorporate ethical and values–based decision making in day–to–day management.

Review

"This is an important work, especially in these times when administrative ethics are getting more attention. It is readable and timely; recommended for all academic libraries." (The Journal of Academic Librarianship)

"While there is a wide range of good books and articles on ethics in public administration, the best is Terry Cooper′s The Responsible Administrator." (H. George Frederickson, Edwin O. Stene Professor of Public Administration, University of Kansas, Praise from the Third Edition)

"The Responsible Administrator is a book of lasting significance. It is at once theoretically sophisticated and practically useful. . . . for both the scholar and the manager." (James Bowman, professor of public administration, Florida State University, Praise from the Third Edition)

"When I taught Ethical Problems in Public Administration I found The Responsible Administrator the most ′teachable′ of the books available because it provided a balanced menu of cases, information, analysis, and theory. I am pleased to see the work further developed and enriched." (Dwight Waldo, professor emeritus, The Maxwell School, Syracuse University, Praise from the Third Edition)

"A cogent and well organized piece of work. Overall, this book is an excellent piece of scholarship. The writing style is clear and concise. "The strength of this book is its ability to integrate rather difficult philosophical and moral questions with good case studies. I know of no other book that achieves these goals as well. "In sum, both pre–service students and practitioners will be enriched by being exposed to this important book." (Curtis Ventriss, associate professor of public administration, University of Vermont, Praise from the Third Edition)