A Comprehensive Construct for Ethical Society and Governance through an Integrity Framework
| Author | Roopinder Oberoi |
| Published date | 01 July 2013 |
| Date | 01 July 2013 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/0019556120130322 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
A COMPREHENSIVE CONSTRUCT FOR ETHICAL
SOCIETY AND GOVERNANCE THROUGH AN
INTEGRITY FRAMEWORK
ROOPINDER OBEROI
Rethinking the role
of
integrity implies consenting that
something is immoral within the existing paradigm
and
metaphor
of
activities. This article sets out a number
of
practical
mechanisms
for
setting
and
institutionalising
standards
of
integrity and good governance for elected officials
and civil servants. Ethics is a set
of
stand.,ards
that a society
places on itself and which helps guide behaviour, choices and
actions. The prevailing negative view
of
the state
of
integrity
can be ascribed to the levels
of
putrefying moral standards
and
broken relationship between state
and
civil society.
Integrity is much more than financial honesty. Public office is
a trust. But, we are cognisant to the fact that standards do not,
by themselves, ensure ethical behaviour; that requires a robust
culture
of
integrity. Building trust and confidence requires an
environment where there is a premium on transparency,
openness, boldness, fairness and justice.
The article also attempts to push the notions
of
integrity
implementation
and
its
assessment
further,
by
taking
"wholeness"
of
the concept
of
integrity to include not only
the behaviour
of
officials and their organisations but also the
internal climate
of
public institutions -their stated procedures,
informal
norms,
incentive·
and
accountability
systems,
monitoring processes, transparency mechanisms
and
to
interactions with the wider society. Assessing integrity in public
institutions requires that breadth
of
focus; a subject which
will be delved into this article.
INTRODUCTION
ONE OF the grave challenges facing mankind in organised social life is
ethics or lack
of
it. That is, the predicament
of
preference between good
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