Abstract:
Improving ethics is critical for enhancing accountability and vice versa, as ethical
standards impact on the performance and the extent to which public officials are
willing, or unwilling to be accountable for their performance. This article examines
what guidelines are needed to improve ethical standards in the South African public
service. The article firstly provides a literature review of ethics, integrity and the role
of codes of conduct. Secondly, the article provides an overview of ethics, integrity
and codes of conduct in the South African public service. Lastly, the article reflects
on empirical evidence from studies conducted in Finland and the Netherlands in
generating a way forward for identifying the necessary guidelines for improving
ethical standards in the South African public service. The findings offer suggestions
of external regulations, compliance programmes and voluntary ethics programs as
the most effective way to combat inappropriate organisational behaviour.
