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366 Journal of the Spanish Institute for Strategic Studies Núm. 9 / 2017 both within and outside the organisation must also be considered. Components of the local community, the society that is being served, partners, allies, associates, contractors, providers and colleagues in public administration are all part of these external interest groups. Where international organisations are present in foreign countries or activities are being set up, the local population is an interest group. Governmental actors, local authorities (key leaders), heads of international agencies, non-governmental organisations and allies make up a varied and dynamic map of interest groups. They constitute a social context with which interaction and mutual cooperation is necessary for a comprehensive situational awareness that will allow for the development of ethical and responsible conduct. THE NEW CHALLENGES IN DEFENCE AND SECURITY INSTITUTIONS The Armed Forces Royal Decrees are the principal moral reference point where military values, virtues and duties76 come together. There are more traditional values such as exemplarity, patriotism, the spirit of service, courage, loyalty, comradeship, sacrifice and honour that have resisted the test of time. Other values such as respect, discipline, professional excellence and initiative adapt, modernise and evolve in line with society and technological progress, at times changing their form and ways of implementation. Upholding a correct ethical interpretation of the values specific to institutions is important as it allows them to be internalised and implemented correctly. A coherent ethical development avoids confusion between values and counter-values, that can sometimes be very close, such as comradeship with corporatism, loyalty with submission, discipline with abuse of authority or courage with recklessness. People in command and management positions who fully take on their responsibilities as leaders have to take decisions on a constant basis and at times have less information available to them than would be desirable and only have direct access to limited information. Ethical conduct is adopted based on the interpretation of facts and circumstances with a subsequent appraisal consistent with criteria and principles based on rules and laws. An approach based on the theories of ethical leadership and management models, based on the implementation of social responsibility77, can bring about the implementation of new procedures that increase the amount of information available, and promote participation, commitment and involvement of members of institutions. 76  SANCHEZ-TAPIA, Salvador, Valores: ¿se les suponen?: ética en las Fuerzas Armadas, Revista de Responsabilidad Social de la Empresa, 18, 2014, p. 125-146. 77  WALDMAN, David A., SIEGEL, Donald ‘Defining the Socially Responsible Leader’, The Leadership Quarterly 19(1), 2008, p. 117–131. http://revista.ieee.es/index.php/ieee

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