The effects of ethics on governance in sports organisations

Here we shall look in detail at the different types of ethics that individuals and organisations can exhibit in sport and how these impact on governance.

Personal ethics

Personal ethics are concerned with an individual’s morality and their view of what is right and wrong. To some extent, the law can establish rules about what is ‘wrong’. However, standards of behaviour are much more determined by social attitudes of morality and good conduct, even though the attitudes of individuals often differ on whether a particular action is ‘wrong’ or unethical.

Ethical personal behaviour helps to build trust and is commonly associated with the Nolan Principles, in particular integrity (honesty) and transparency.