Values Management in Local Government: A Survey of Progress and Future Directions

Abstract

Based on a survey of public personnel administrators with responsibilities for ethics training and employee develop ment, this study examines "values management" in municipal governments as it relates to the minimization of wrongdoing and increased responsiveness to employees, citizens and customers of city services. Results show that municipalities are shifting their focus from traditional concerns of wrongdoing to those of responsiveness, and that a large "aspiration gap" exists in areas of employee career development and customer satisfaction.