Integrity

Process Integrity and Moral Coherence

Process integrity capacity is the coherent alignment of individual and collective moral awareness, deliberation, character, and conduct. The need to address lapses in process integrity capacity is evident by the frequent disconnect between business moral rhetoric and actual behavior that provokes stakeholder criticism of moral hypocrisy, for example, multinational corporations that tout their public relations images of being responsible corporate citizens while engaging in morally objectionable practices that pollute the natural environment and exploit indigenous workers.

Ordinary language definitions of personal integrity as embodying cohesive and sincere adherence to moral principles and commitments refer to process integrity capacity. A person of integrity is commonly understood to be one who is morally aware (i.e., perceives, discerns, and is sensitive to moral issues), demonstrates both autonomous reflection and interdependent moral deliberation in the analysis and resolution of moral problems, is ready to act ethically (i.e., exercises intellectual, social, moral, emotional, and political virtues that build strong character and motivation to act ethically), and engages in responsible, aligned, and sustainable conduct (i.e., takes action [Page 1142]that is consistent with personal moral resolutions on a regular basis, even at great personal sacrifice, and can publicly applaud the moral justifications for doing so). Moral coherence between belief and expression, awareness and deliberation, word and deed, and among moral judgments, commitments, and actions is a hallmark of authentic personal integrity.

Moral coherence also entails social process integrity. Teams, firms, cities, and institutions, for example, with high process integrity capacity are more likely than competitors to be aware of and rapidly respond to multiple stakeholder moral concerns, arrive at balanced decisions that form sound policies, and build supportive moral systems that sustain business and social excellence. They exhibit a coherent unity of purpose and action in the face of moral complexity rather than succumb to collective inertia or biased decision making.

Judgment Integrity and Moral Wholeness

Integrity also entails moral wholeness that is enabled by and reflected in judgment integrity capacity. Judgment integrity capacity is the balanced and inclusive use of key ethics theories and dialogic resources in multiple stakeholder relationships to analyze and resolve individual and/or collective moral issues. Ethics theories can be organized into four categories: teleological ethics theories (emphasizing moral results/purposes), deontological ethics theories (emphasizing moral rules), virtue ethics theories (emphasizing moral character), and system development ethics theories (emphasizing moral contexts). Personal moral wholeness is determined by the degree to which an individual in interaction with multiple stakeholder relations achieves good results, follows the right rules, cultivates virtuous character, and sustains morally supportive contexts throughout life without underemphasizing or overemphasizing any of these factors. On the other hand, ruthless individuals who overemphasize the achievement of good short-term financial results while violating moral and legal rules, forging vicious character traits such as callous insensitivity to others and destroying morally supportive contexts, demonstrate a lack of moral wholeness and dishonor the diversity of stakeholder relationships.

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