Effect of training on reflection about ethics and corruption

Abstract

The challenge of curbing corruption requires public organizations to implement ethics management, deploying a myriad of instruments to reinforce ethical frameworks of public employees. Ethical training is among the most used instruments to achieve this goal, which should provide elements to public officials to face ethical dilemmas effectively. Yet, is that the case? How efficient are ethical training efforts for public servants? Do they have the same effect among different types of employees? In order to answer these questions, this article shows the results of pre and post-test questionnaires applied to participants of ethics training workshops for employees in the central and local government in Chile. The exploratory findings show that after the workshops, it is possible to see an improvement in the ethical frameworks among participants, showing a positive effect for women and those who recently started working in the public sector. More research is required to improve the instrument and strengthen public integrity. The article concludes with proposals to improve these kinds of training activities.

Keywords:
public ethics; integrity; corruption; training; Chile