Always Communicate

CASE ANAYLSIS RESEARCH PAPER:

ETHICAL LEADERSHIP AND ADMINISTRATIVE DISCRETION:

THE FIRE CHIEF’S HIRING DILEMMA

SUBMITTED BY:

LEVONDA BELL

STRAYER UNIVERSITY

NOVEMBER 2, 2008

PAD 500- MODERN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

DR. HASSAN YEMER

ABSTRACT

The Spring 2006 Public Personnel Management article entitled, “Ethical Leadership and Administrative Discretion: The Fire Chief’s Hiring Dilemma, describes the ethical dilemma faced by a local government human resources manager and fire chief who were confronted with the decision to succumb to political pressure from city council members, volunteer fire chiefs and prominent citizens to hire unqualified firefighter candidates, or to discount their input and reject the candidates. The authors, William M. Hararway, III and Julie Kunselman, describe the fire chief’s dilemma and discuss the importance of practicing ethical leadership to build public trust and accountability with citizens and other stakeholders in the responsible use of administrative discretion while pursuing the public interest. This report will give an overview of the case and highlight two important issues facing public administrators that we have studied thus far in this class: (1) Ethical Leadership and (2) Administrative Discretion.

INTRODUCTION

A local government human resource management program developed and implemented a merit based Public Safety Entry-Level Recruitment and Hiring Program for police and firefighter candidates. This program encompassed a series of screening processes that included (1) an official city application, (2) a background check informational questionnaire, (3) a police background check, (4) a polygraph examination administered by the police department, and (5) a physical agility examination. Those applicants who met the above screening criteria where referred to participate in an oral interview conducted by a police or fire chief, after which the decision was made whether or not to hire the applicant....