Comparative analysis of ethical leadership and ethical culture in local government: The USA, The Netherlands, Montenegro and Serbia

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to understand the role of ethical leadership and ethical culture as a safeguard against corruption. Design/methodology/approach - Using survey data from public managers in local authorities in The Netherlands, Serbia, Montenegro and the USA in a comparative stu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The International journal of public sector management 2010-01, Vol.23 (7), p.596-612
Main Authors: Kolthoff, Emile, Erakovich, Rodney, Lasthuizen, Karin
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Comparative studies
Corporate culture
Corruption
Culture
Employees
Ethics
Leadership
Local government
Montenegro
Netherlands
Public sector
Serbia
Social values
Statistical analysis
United States
USA
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Summary:Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to understand the role of ethical leadership and ethical culture as a safeguard against corruption. Design/methodology/approach - Using survey data from public managers in local authorities in The Netherlands, Serbia, Montenegro and the USA in a comparative study. Findings - The USA and The Netherlands, generally, display higher levels of organizational integrity than Montenegro and Serbia. Second, the strongest effects of ethical leadership were found in Montenegro. Third, in all four countries a rule-based approach to ethics dominated. Research limitations/implications - It is difficult to determine the extent to which survey participants felt free to express their true opinions. Different social values need to be included as part of any comparative analysis. Practical implications - The role of ethical leadership is crucial; the importance of laws and rules underpinning ethical conduct cannot be underestimated. Originality/value - The paper contributes to the growing interest in comparative studies. Adapted from the source document.
ISSN:0951-3558
1758-6666
DOI:10.1108/09513551011078879