Ethics of a Public Administration Official in Poland: Prospects for the Development of Professional Deontology

Abstract

The development of modern civilization associated with the digital revolution poses entirely new challenges in terms of ethics for public administration. Whereas practical ethical instruments in the form of codes of best practice have already been developed for the profession of a lawyer or a doctor, the internal diversification of the profession of a public official (public authority officials, territorial self-government officials) as well as the transformation of public administration have not been conducive to the development of appropriate ethical standards. The author aims at providing an answer to the following question: on which axiological foundation should the code of a public official be based? On the one hand, historical background seems to be providing a definite answer, on the other, however, current depreciation of the profession of a public official as well as technological progress shed a new light on ethical reflections. Models used in public administration until now, i.e. the model of ideal bureaucracy, the accountability model, and the new public manager model, have not proven to be effective. Nevertheless, according to the author, the organizational culture within the frame of the good governance model constitutes a unique solution which can prove successful in public administration. At this point, the process of restitution of public officials’ ethos can be a relevant factor. It is so especially due to the fact that public officials’ ethos embodies a development area for educating professional public officials and constitutes a premise for a good functioning of public administration at the same time. Enumerating the drivers of growth for the public officials’ ethos in connection with a unique idea of the code of best practice based on the triad of integrity, benevolence, and accountability constitutes an axiological suggestion which is noteworthy for the deontology of the profession of a public official.