Inculcating the ethos of public‐sector codes of ethics in Sweden: a longitudinal approach

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the measures put in place by the largest public sector organizations in Sweden in order to communicate the ethos of their codes of ethics to their employees. Design/methodology/approach – This paper is based upon a longitudinal survey approach. Findings – In the public sector organizations of Sweden the use of regulations and staff support is rather modest in respect to the inculcation of codes of ethics artefacts into the organisations. This longitudinal approach indicates an overall increase across the examined areas in the usage of measures to support the ethos of public sector codes of ethics. Research limitations/implications – The artefacts to support the ethos inherent in public sector codes of ethics are rarely explored in the literature. This paper helps to fill this gap with the present longitudinal approach. Practical implications – One could speculate that society at large and its public sector organizations may have been influenced not only by the scandalous happenings of recent years in Swedish business, but also by the impact of an Anglo‐Saxon style of “corporatisation”, whereby public authorities take on the form of a corporation or business brought on by globalisation. Originality/value – The present paper may be used as a point of reference for further research efforts.