Free «Key Points in Cooper’s Reading» Essay

Cooper’s reading provides an opportunity to learn certain concepts about responsible administration and ethical conduct in administration. There are three key points that can be distinguished from this reading. These points include ethical dilemma, conflict of authority, and role conflict. Ethical dilemma is an experience when an individual is torn between multiple sets of responsibility with relatively similar costs and benefits. According to Cooper (2012), it is a practical problem which leads to risk of being on the wrong side of ethics. Conflict of authority is the other key point in the reading. In this case, an administrator is faced with roles that are not compatible. An individual has numerous roles to play but lacks the ability to attend to all of them. In a working situation, an individual may have the challenge to select between roles at work, family based demands/or personal role (Cooper, 2012). Conflict of interest is experienced in administration when personal interests differ from those of professional and administrative interests.

Summary of the Article

The article Until One is Committed, There is Hesitancy, the Chance to Draw Back, Always Ineffectiveness by J. Wolfgang provides information on various aspects of public administration. There are five key issues discussed in the article. These issues include personal integrity, democratic governance, respect, learning and innovation, as well as, ethics and values. On personal integrity, the article highlights issues such as confidentiality, fairness, courage, and conscientiousness. Democratic governance includes issues such as being non-partisan, being transparent, and upholding public interests among others. A public administrator is expected to respect those who are elected, members of the public and working colleagues. The other issues discussed in the article are learning and innovation. The following notions are essential aspects which are intended to assist in improving performance that enhances a sense of responsibility and facilitate personal improvement. On ethics and values, a public servant is expected to observe ethical standards, to work hard for the benefit of people he / she serves, and to ensure application of professional responsibility (Wolfgang, 2010).

The Relationship between the Article and Cooper’s Reading

The article is related with Cooper’s reading in various ways. First, both of them address issues concerning ethical conducts in the public service. A sense of responsibility and effective playing of roles are highly emphasized in both cases. Issues on personal public interests are highly emphasized when public servants and administrators are expected to serve people while setting aside personal interests.