Outline

Overview

Much recent attention has focused on preventing corruption and improving ethics in public sector organisations around the world. This unit equips students to identify and analyse different forms of corruption and ethical failure, and to reflect critically on the best ways of combatting corruption and enhancing ethics in the public sector. The unit takes a comparative approach to these issues.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Government and International Relations
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Rodney Smith, rodney.smith@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Rodney Smith, rodney.smith@sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 31 March 2025

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Short paper Essay analysing a short set text (see GOVT6301 Canvas site for details).	15%	Week 04 Due date: 21 Mar 2025 at 23:59	900 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Essay Essay comparing two countries (see GOVT6301 Canvas site for details).	60%	Week 10 Due date: 09 May 2025 at 23:59	3600 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Reflective journal Short entry reflective journal (see GOVT6301 Canvas site for details).	25%	Week 13 Due date: 30 May 2025 at 23:59	1500 words
Outcomes assessed:
= AI allowed ?

Assessment summary

Short paper: This assignment requires you to apply material from the first classes and readings to interpret a short set text.
Essay: This assignment requires you to conduct desk research and write it up to produce a comparative analysis.
Reflective journal: This assignment requires you to create a series of short reflections on material from the classes and readings, applying this material to your own experiences or other non-classroom sources (such as news items).

More detailed information about each assessment task will be posted on the GOVT6301 Canvas site.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	Work of an exceptional standard.
Distinction	75 - 84	Work of a very high standard.
Credit	65 - 74	Work of a good standard.
Pass	50 - 64	Work of an acceptable standard.
Fail	0 - 49	Work of an unsatisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades

For more information see guide to grades.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

Except for supervised exams or in-semester tests, you may use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessments unless expressly prohibited by your unit coordinator.

For exams and in-semester tests, the use of AI and automated writing tools is not allowed unless expressly permitted in the assessment instructions.

The icons in the assessment table above indicate whether AI is allowed – whether full AI, or only some AI (the latter is referred to as “AI restricted”). If no icon is shown, AI use is not permitted at all for the task. Refer to Canvas for full instructions on assessment tasks for this unit.

Your final submission must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of automated writing tools or generative AI, and any material generated that you include in your final submission must be properly referenced. You may be required to submit generative AI inputs and outputs that you used during your assessment process, or drafts of your original work. Inappropriate use of generative AI is considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

The Current Students website provides information on artificial intelligence in assessments. For help on how to correctly acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the  AI in Education Canvas site.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

As per University of Sydney policy.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction to Public Sector Ethics.	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 02	How Different Are Public Sector and Private Sector Ethics?	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 03	Approaches to Defining Corruption	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 04	Researching and Comparing Corruption: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 05	Grand and Petty Corruption: Approaches to Understanding Causes and Mechanism of Corruption.	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 06	Thin Blue Lines: Do Some Public Sector Activities Require Special Ethical Attention?	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 07	What Use are Codes of Ethics and Codes of Conduct?	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 08	Do Specialist Anti-Corruption Agencies (ICACs etc) Help Prevent Corruption and Promote Integrity?	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 09	Protecting Whistleblowers and Handling Whistleblower Reports.	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 10	What Role can Civil Society (the Media, NGOs, Citizen Action) Play in Promoting Ethics and Curbing Corruption?	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 11	What Are 'Integrity Systems'? Do We Need Them to Thwart Corruption and Promote Ethics in the Public Sector?	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 12	International Anti-Corruption Treaties and Other International Measures.	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)
Week 13	Conclusions: Where to Start to Improve Public Sector Ethics and Resist Public Sector Corruption?	Lecture and tutorial (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.
Lecture recording: Lectures will be recorded and made available to students on the LMS (Canvas).
Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately three hours’ preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

GOVT6301 CLASS READINGS FOR SEMESTER 1 2025 NB: All the required readings can be accessed online via the Library.
Week	Reading

1	Long Ling, 'Diary', London Review of Books 27 June 2017 Alan Lawton, Julie Rayner, and Karin Lasthuizen. Ethics and Management in the Public Sector. Oxford: Routledge, 2013, Chapter 2.
2	Hal G. Rainey and Young Han Chun, ‘Public and Private Management Compared’, in E. Ferlie, L. Lynn Jr and C. Pollitt (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Public Management, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2005. Zeger van der Wal, ‘The Content and Context of Organizational Ethics’, Public Administration, 89:2, 2011, pp. 644-660.
3	Carl J. Friedrich, The Pathology of Politics, New York, Harper and Row, 1972, pp. 127-141. Michael Jackson and Rodney Smith, ‘Inside Moves and Outside Views: An Australian Case Study of Elite and Public Perceptions of Political Corruption’, Governance 9(1) 1996, pp. 23-42. Giorgio Blundo and Jean-Pierre Olivier de Sardan, with N. Bako Arifari and M. Tidjani Alou (translated by Susan Cox), Everyday Corruption and the State. London: Zed Books, 2006: 110-134.
4	Alina Mungiu-Pippidi and Mihály Fazekas, ‘How to Define and Measure Corruption’, in Alina Mungiu-Pippidi and Paul M. Heywood (eds.), A Research Agenda for Studies of Corruption, Cheltenham, Edward Elgar, 2020, pp. 7-26.
5	Michael Johnston, Syndromes of Corruption, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2005, Chapter 3. Robert Klitgaard, Controling Corruption. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1988: 69-75. Donnatella della Porta and Alberto Vannucci, The Hidden Order of Corruption, Farnham, Ashgate, 2012, Chapter 2.
6	Tim Prenzler, Police Corruption: Preventing Misconduct and Maintaining Integrity. London, CRC Press, 2009, Chapter 2, pp. 15-26. Louise Westmarland, ‘Police ethics and integrity: Breaking the blue code of silence.’ Policing and Society: An International Journal of Research and Policy, 15(2), 2006, pp. 145–165. M. Alain and M. Grégoire, ‘Can ethics survive the shock of the job? Quebec’s police recruits confront reality.’ Policing and Society: An International Journal of Research and Policy, 18(2), 2008, pp. 169–189.
7	Niamh Kinchin. “Professional Perspectives: More than Writing on a Wall: Evaluating the Role That Codes of Ethics Play in Securing Accountability of Public Sector Decision-Makers.” Australian Journal of Public Administration, 66(1), 2007, pp. 112-120. Manfred F. Meine and Thomas P. Dunn, ‘The Search for Ethical Competency. Do Ethics Codes Matter?’, Public Integrity 15(2) 2013: 149-166.
8	Bertrand de Speville, ‘Anticorruption Commissions: The “Hong Kong Model” Revisited’, Asia-Pacific Review, 17:1, 2010, pp. 47-71. Martin Painter, ‘Myths of Political Independence, Or How Not to Solve the Corruption Problem: Lessons for Vietnam’, Asia and the Pacific Policy Studies, 1(2) 2014, 273-286. Sergio Marco Gemperle, ‘Comparing Anti-Corruption Agencies: A New Crossnational Index’, International Review of Public Administration 22(3) 2018, 156-175.
9	Rodney Smith, ‘The Role of Whistle-Blowing in Governing Well: Evidence from the Australian Public Sector’, American Review of Public Administration, 40:6, 2010, pp. 704-721. Kate Kenny, Marianna Fotaki, and Wim Vandekerckhove. ‘Whistleblower Subjectivities: Organization and Passionate Attachment.’. Organization Studies 41:3, 2020, 323–43.
10	Rochman Achwan and Meuhia Ganie-Rochman, ‘Civic Organisations and Governance Reform in Indonesian Cities’, Asian Journal of Political Science, 37, 2009, pp. 799-820. Martin Webb, ‘Activating Citizens, Remaking Brokerage: Transparency Activism, Ethical Scenes and the Urban Poor in Delhi’, Political and Legal Anthropology Review, 35:2, 2012, pp. 206-222. Nurul Huda Sakib, ‘Community Organizing in Anti-Corruption Initiatives through Spontaneous Participation: Bangladesh Perspective’, Community Development Journal, 57(2) 2022, pp. 360–79.
11	Jeremy Pope, ‘National Integrity Systems: The Key to Building Sustainable, Just and Honest Government’, in B. Head, AJ Brown and C. Connors (eds), Promoting Integrity, Farnham, Ashgate, 2008. Charles Sampford, Rodney Smith and AJ Brown, ‘From Greek Temple to Bird’s Nest: Towards a Theory of Coherence and Mutual Accountability for National Integrity Systems’, Australian Journal of Public Administration, 64:2, 2005, pp. 96-108. Paul M. Heywood and Elizabeth Johnson, ‘Cultural specificity versus institutional universalism: a critique of the National Integrity System (NIS) methodology’, Crime, Law and Social Change. 2017, pp. 1-16.
12	Stuart S. Yeh, ‘Ending Corruption in Africa through United Nations Inspections’, International Affairs, 87:3, 2011, pp. 629-650. Mathis Lohaus, Towards a Global Consensus Against Corruption, London, Routledge, 2019, Chapter 5, pp. 153-169.
13	No readings required.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. conduct comparative inquiry into public sector ethics and corruption using a range of sources.
LO2. reflect critically on the ethical issues involved in public sector activities at local, national and international levels.
LO3. take part in informed discussions about public sector ethics and corruption using appropriate language and critical listening.
LO4. create new knowledge and understanding through the process of research and inquiry
LO5. recognise the impact of cultural contexts on public sector ethics and corruption.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Changes to the delivery mode of GOVT6301 have been made since the unit of study was last offered in 2024. In 2025, we will use a more disctinct lecture and tutorial mode. Both the lectures and the tutorials will involve some participation/engagement by students and students are expected to come to class prepared to participate. The order of some classes has also been adjusted.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

GOVT6301: Public Sector Ethics and Corruption

Semester 1, 2025 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links