Introduction: the ethics agenda -- The comparative dimension -- Theory and practice -- The managerial focus -- Regime values -- Ethical issues -- Issues enduring and universal -- The UK experience -- Managers' perspectives -- Ethical theory and public service principles -- Theory -- Principles in the public services -- The public service ethos -- There exists a public service ethos -- The public service ethos is under threat from management reforms that have taken place in recent years -- The undermining of the public service ethos is a 'bad thing' -- Roles, relationships and rules -- The concept of trust -- The content of the minister-civil servant relationship -- Professional relationships and trust -- Managing across organizational boundaries and partnerships -- Rules and rule-governed behaviour -- The organizational dimension -- Organizational forms and structures -- The fabric of the organization -- Organizational culture and control -- Organizational control and individual morals -- Whistleblowing -- Ethics and evaluation -- The ethical context -- Models of performance measurement -- Performance appraisal -- Performance and control -- Ethical training for decisions -- Ethical decisions in the short term -- The moral development of the individual -- The learning organization -- The learning society? -- The purpose of government -- Theory and practice -- Obligations and relationships -- Ethical enforcement -- Traditions and practices -- Learning, evaluation and ethics