Integrity

What is Integrity?
By SPC Zaras, Zachary

The definition of integrity according to Webster's Dictionary is, "a rigid adherence to a code of behavior." There are though many ways to look at a person’s integrity. A person with integrity possesses many qualities. Three of these qualities are honesty, the ability to follow a moral code, and loyalty to yourself and your beliefs.

In The Crucible, a prime example of a person with integrity is Elizabeth Proctor. Elizabeth shows her personal purity when she refuses to persuade her husband to confess to crimes of witchcraft. She refuses because she believes that he is good now in God's light. God, to her, will show her the right way, and she believes that by following God's moral code she will be right and just. John Proctor, Elizabeth's husband, also shows his integrity when he refuses to confess to crimes of witchcraft. Even though confessing would save his life, he won't confess to a crime he didn't commit. He knows that being dishonest isn't being loyal to his beliefs.

In The Crucible, an example of not possessing integrity is also shown. Danforth, is the prime example of having no loyalty towards himself or his beliefs. Danforth, is the Deputy Governor who convicts the citizens of being witches. When Danforth is asked to pardon the accused, he refuses saying that he can't because twelve have already hung for the same crime, and he refuses to let anyone off. Even though he knows what is right and that they are innocent he won't because it would ruin the integrity of the court, and his own rectitude. Integrity shows up in many places and has many faces. The faces of truth, moral code, and loyalty are all parts of integrity and show up everyday in many ways. To have a true sense of integrity one must posses all three. You have to be honest to yourself and to others, follow your personal beliefs and stick to what you think is right, and you have to be loyal to yourself. Integrity is to be truly honest, and fair, and to uphold the beliefs important to you.

Integrity is needed, when making any decision in my opinion. In my current position in my work, not just we are required by the law to be honest and having and integrity helps a great deal to do my job a great many easier. I work on one on one setting and my clients or customers, having integrity doing the right thing is always the priority event know one’s looking. My customers always expect me to tell them the truth and give them educated advice. Of course, doing the right thing in my business sometimes can cause me to lose a customer. However, in my options I rather lose a customer than compromise my integrity. Once the customer finds out they can trust they tend to help me in my work by referring another customer.

Integrity would be first on my list. An organization wanting to conduct correct business decisions must have integrity. For example: An organization advertises their goal to produce environmentally friendly products. However, as the company announcing their environmentally friendly product the company is trying to gain the consumers assurance. Yet the company is polluting the environment while producing the product. The company is knowledgeable in this fact; however there is no environmental law that will stop them. The company is not honest to the consumers and is wrong by misleading the consumer. Once again, money and profit outweighs the company’s integrity.

Quality of work is opinions that can be observe from group or a client. The quality of my personal effort has always been essential to me. My work is a direct evidence of who I am. This is also likely the way others may perceive me. In my current work quality is not important because my current job is measured by numbers so is not important the quality of my job or quality of the student that I recruited. The outcome was many man-hours exhausted on those individuals that were not likely to attend the school. The director and manager lastly figured this out and now training were given to others properly.

Punctuality is a value that I feel is very much overlooked in the business world. Employees that are allowed to not be punctual will typically lead to dissention in the workplace. This value is one that I have always impressed upon my subordinates. I have seen this value when not used change an organizational culture overnight. Several years ago, I witnessed this happen with my platoon. Several new soldiers joined this company and caused many problems due to their punctuality and non-adherence to the standards that were in place. Leadership refused to address the problem and dissention among several groups followed. Being punctual in my opinion is another indicator of the type of person you are. I have seen the younger generation display very little of this value in recent years.

Loyalty in my belief is very significant in the business world. My knowledge has revealed me that most workers are looking for what is in it for them. I experienced this in the last few years of Army service. I have been serving this country proudly for 4 years and saw very little loyalty to the assignment and group that other personnel belonged to. I live this problem in my current work as a police officer on Fort Hood. I am loyal to department. The problem for the department that I see is other soldiers do not take their jobs serious and do it proud. Most are just here because they have to be. They do what is the minimum. They show up and take a report and hand it off. Most do not try and solve the crime. There is no loyalty in the job and doing it right. This in my view is a missing value in the Army today.

The End

Sources include:
Webster’s dictionary
The Crucible