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Team helps shape the face of public life

Work which is shaping the way local government is policed is being carried out at the University.

Dr Michael Macaulay, Head of the Centre for Public Services Management in the University's Business School, is leading a team that investigates ethics in public life. He was initially approached to carry out research for the Standards Board, which oversees the way councillors and local government officials behave. The initial work helped shape the code of conduct by which the Board operates and the team then followed that up with analysis of questionnaires sent out to councillors and officers.

Having analysed the answers, Dr Macaulay and his team recommended a key change to the code. He said, 'What emerged in our work was that there was no section on bullying in the workplace. One of our key recommendations was that one be added to the code, which has now happened.'

Dr Macaulay has also co-written, with Dr Gary Hickey, Head of Research at the Standards Board, a paper on ethical leadership which was published in a learned Lithuanian publication. It was the first time the Board and a university have collaborated on such work. Dr Macaulay said, 'I have always been fascinated by ethics and ethical leadership. I think there is more awareness today about the issue of trust in our leaders. People need to see ethical leadership.'

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