The ethical climate of government and non-profit organizations Implications for public-private partnerships

Abstract

One aspect of relations between government and non-profit organizations that has received little attention is the impact of differing ethical climates. Using Victor and Cullens' model of ethical climate, this article offers a qualitative survey of the differences between the two sectors. It finds that there are differences in both the sources of ethical climate and the criteria used to judge ethical climate. Public servants tend to be more cosmopolitan in that their source of ethical climate comes from sources external to themselves such as professional or legal norms. Non-profit mangers tended to have stronger beliefs that principles are to be selfchosen and the climate is to be guided by personal ethics.