Description
The paper addresses the problem of developing accountable behaviours in big international-non-governmental organisations (BINGOs) with complex organisational structures. Modern bureaucratic institutions are rarely suitable social environment to hone capacities for responsible and accountable behaviour. Alasdair MacIntyre highlights the problem by arguing that responsible behaviours (including integrity) and moral agency requires particular type of social setting that modern bureaucracies are not able to provide. Through presenting early findings from qualitative research, the paper looks for potential solutions to enable individuals working within BINGOs to develop reflexive agency and ethical judgement. The research follows pragmatist methodology, assuming epistemic equality between the researcher and the practitioner. Following findings from reiterative interviews with senior management in INGOs responsible for quality assurance and safeguarding, and whistle-blowers, the paper argues that authenticity stands at the core of responsible behaviours in bureaucratic context. Authentic agency entails not only ability to make independent judgements and challenge existing practices, but also creating organisational structures that allow learning and reflexive practices. Integrity, standing at the core of many INGOs strategies, therefore, entails actively and positively creating space for other individuals – including staff and communities supported by INGOs - to exercise their agency in a meaningful way.
