Integrity

In ethics, integrity means words and actions match: a person or organisation says what it will do, does it, and tells the truth about the result. It underpins honest reporting, fair dealing and resistance to pressure. Regulators and professional bodies list it among the basic duties of directors, auditors and public servants. Organisations speak of corporate or business integrity when they mean the combined effect of policies, culture and behaviour, including how they treat bribery, conflicts and reporting. Integrity differs from compliance: a firm can obey every rule and still act in ways that mislead. The word has other uses in risk, such as data integrity (information that is accurate and unaltered) and market integrity, but the governance meaning concerns character and conduct. Assessors judge it indirectly, through case outcomes, decisions taken under pressure and how concerns are handled.

A construction company learns that a site engineer overstated progress to trigger a client payment, a small sum. The company could stay silent. Instead it corrects the invoice, informs the client and disciplines the engineer. The client later mentions the episode as a reason for renewing the contract.