Title: Ethical climate in the New Zealand health sector

Authors: Soheila Mirshekary; Ali Yaftian; Alistair Brown; Bikram Chatterjee

Addresses: Deakin Graduate School of Business, Faculty of Business and Law, Deakin University, 70 Elgar Road, Burwood, Victoria, 3125, Australia ' Deakin Graduate School of Business, Faculty of Business and Law, Deakin University, 70 Elgar Road, Burwood, Victoria, 3125, Australia ' School of Accounting, Curtin Business School, Curtin University, GPO Box U 1987, Perth, Western Australia, 6845, Australia ' School of Accounting, Curtin Business School, Curtin University, GPO Box U 1987, Perth, Western Australia, 6845, Australia

Abstract: The paper investigates the ethical climate in the New Zealand health sector after it experienced heavy reform. The findings of the study suggest that little emphasis has been placed on ethics in the New Zealand public health sector. Apart from individuals' own professionalism and intrinsic motivation there appear to be no incentives for employees to show exemplary ethical behaviour. This is because there is no reward to show exemplary ethical behaviour and report ethics related issues. There also appears to be a tendency for the public health organisations to set a formal code of ethics and core values instead of detailed guidelines and creating an environment of motivation to act ethically.

Keywords: New Zealand; ethics; public sector reforms; health sector; healthcare reforms; public health; ethical behaviour; code of ethics; core values; motivation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBHR.2012.051391

International Journal of Behavioural and Healthcare Research, 2012 Vol.3 No.3/4, pp.244 - 257

Published online: 20 Aug 2014 *

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