Abstract
The Pacific Island region comprises a diverse array of countries that face a variety
of challenges. For some, this includes weak governance and public sector corruption.
This chapter explores these issues by drawing on research with public
servants in the largest (by population and landmass) Pacific Island nation, Papua
New Guinea, a country categorized by many as acutely corrupt. In line with
scholars who suggest good governance should be tied to the delivery of political
goods, it finds that public servants prioritize service delivery over impartiality.
This is in part because many believe laws and rules are overly onerous, relevant
guidelines and laws are difficult to locate, and public servants are under enormous
pressure to provide unofficial favors to businesses, politicians, and kith and kin.
Government policies that have strengthened relations between MPs, citizens, and
public servants have exacerbated these pressures. In addition, public servants face
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | The Palgrave Handbook of the Public Servant |
Editors | Helen Sullivan, Helen Dickinson, Hayley Henderson |
Place of Publication | America |
Publisher | Palgrave Macmillan |
Pages | 1199-1217 |
Edition | 1 |
ISBN (Print) | 978-3-030-29980-4 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2021 |