Leadership, Administrative Evil And The Ethics Of Incompetence: Lessons From Katrina And Iraq

Are acts of incompetence unethical? And, do they fit within the definition of administrative evil, where one is acting within role as others would expect them to from an organizational or policy perspective? More broadly, what is the relationship between incompetence and ethical behavior for leaders? The authors examine the moral shortfalls of both professional and public service ethics, and show why both fail as safeguards against unethical behavior, incompetence, and even in the end, administrative evil. They examine two case studies: the largely failed response to Hurricane Katrina, and here, they focus on the considerable and rather rapid deskilling of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The second case study is the occupation and reconstruction of Iraq, in which they examine closely the misplaced efforts of the Coalition Provisional Authority.