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Integrity: Definition, Dimensions, and Tests
2.1 What is Integrity?
The word integrity derives from the Latin integer (whole, complete) — it refers to the wholeness of a person's moral character, the absence of internal contradiction between values and conduct.
Three dimensions of administrative integrity:
Personal Integrity: The administrator's private moral character — honesty, self-discipline, freedom from personal vices that create vulnerabilities (debt, addiction, compromising associations).
Institutional Integrity: The administrator's alignment with the institution's stated values and rules — not deviating from due process for personal convenience; upholding institutional norms even when supervision is absent.
Systemic Integrity: The administrator's commitment to the broader constitutional and administrative system — refusing to participate in systemic corruption even under hierarchical pressure; reporting institutional wrongdoing.
2.2 Tests of Integrity
The "Newspaper Test": Would you be comfortable if your decision appeared on the front page of a newspaper? This thought experiment — proposed by several ethics thinkers — is a practical heuristic for integrity. If a decision would embarrass you publicly, it is probably ethically problematic.
The "Mirror Test": Can you look at yourself in the mirror after making this decision? This tests internal consistency — the gap between self-concept and actual conduct.
The Insider/Outsider Consistency Test: Do you apply the same standards to your associates and to strangers? Integrity requires that rules apply equally regardless of relationship — this is the practical definition of impartiality.
Gandhi's Talisman: "Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and weakest man whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him." This is both an integrity test and an impartiality test — does this decision serve the most vulnerable?
2.3 Integrity Violations in Administration
| Type | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Financial corruption | Using public resources for personal gain | Taking bribes, misappropriating funds, kickbacks from contractors |
| Power corruption | Using official authority for personal/political benefit | Fast-tracking permissions for politically connected applicants |
| Nepotism/Favouritism | Giving preferential treatment to relatives/associates | Awarding contracts to family member's firm without transparent bidding |
| Information misuse | Using privileged official information for personal gain or leaking it inappropriately | Trading on insider information; leaking sensitive data to media for personal agenda |
| Identity manipulation | Misrepresenting credentials, qualifications, or past conduct | False entries in service records; concealing past misconduct |
All integrity violations involve the same core structure: a gap between official role obligations and personal conduct — doing privately what would be impermissible publicly, or publicly what is privately known to be wrong.