In recent years in debates on responsible professional conduct a lot of attention was paid to integrity. Many organizations, in both the public and corporate domain, take measures to protect the integrity of their members, with instruments like ethical codes, training, and the appointment of ethical or compliance officers. Despite this increasing attention, there still is no widely accepted terminology for integrity matters. Frequently people talk with cross-purposes and the definition of integrity remains obscure. At the same time, more and more critics emphasise the dark sides of integrity. Integrity is important in our modern way of life. Therefore we need a clear understanding of the meaning and importance of integrity in daily professional practice. Otherwise, we are at risk that important integrity topics will be insufficiently addressed or will be approached in the wrong way. This study tries to answer the question: what is, from a normative perspective, integrity in modern professional practice? I use a normative perspective, because I am not only interested in a better understanding of integrity in professional practice and the importance of integrity, I also want to know what integrity requires from practitioners. This research is a study at the crossroads of theoretical notions and practical questions. To begin with, I examine two perspectives on the concept of integrity and discuss their theoretical backgrounds. Secondly, I confront the theoretical notions with practical questions by discussing three developments in present professional practice: the integrity program of the Dutch government, the rise of knowledge workers and the increasing number of organizations that define and implement core values. To stipulate what integrity requires, I discuss models to define, maintain and monitor professional ethics and ways to stimulate, strengthen, and enable the integrity of practitioners.

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Klamer, Prof. Dr. A. (promotor), Verkerk, Prof. Dr. M.A. (promotor)
A. Klamer (Arjo)
Erasmus University Rotterdam
hdl.handle.net/1765/9144
Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication (ESHCC)

Karssing, E. D. (2006, September). Integriteit in de beroepspraktijk. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/1765/9144