The Rules of Conflict-of-Interest Management for Public Officials under the “British Model”: A Content Analysis Based on 19 Codes of Ethics

The United Kingdom is one of the countries globally known for its high level of integrity and has essentially developed a relatively comprehensive mechanism for preventing and addressing corruption. Effective management of conflicts of interest among public officials is a crucial aspect of corruption prevention in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom emphasizes establishing a system of ethical norms that encompasses standards for public life more than other nations. By constructing a two-dimensional analysis framework for conflict-of-interest management tools and categories of public officials and utilizing the NVivo14 text analysis tool, we conducted a content analysis of the relevant portions in the British Code of Ethics text concerning managing conflicts of interest among public officials. The study revealed that conflict-of-interest management rules demonstrate a high degree of transparency orientation. The focus is on teaching public officials how to effectively handle conflicts of interest, not just prohibiting or dispossessing them of their private interests. The coordinated use of various management tools tailored to different conflict-of-interest scenarios results in effectively managing conflicts of interest among public officials.