Ethical Issues in Law Enforcement Organizations Research Paper

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Developing and Sustaining an Organizational Culture of Integrity

During an era in American history when charges of unethical business practices extend even into the White House, identifying opportunities to develop an organizational culture of integrity has assumed new importance and relevance. The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the relevant literature concerning the importance of developing a culture of integrity and how this can be accomplished in organizations of different sizes and types, including law enforcement agencies. To this end, the construct of integrity is operationalized, followed by a discussion concerning what types of strategies have proven efficacy in developing an organizational culture of integrity. Finally, a summary of the research and important findings concerning the importance of these types of initiatives and their implications for business practitioners in general and law enforcement authorities in particular are presented in the paper’s conclusion.

Review and Discussion

Definitions of integrity

It is reasonable to suggest that most business practitioners understand what the concept of integrity means, even if they fail to live up to these standards in their personal and professional lives. Some straightforward definitions provided by Aulette and Miller (2017) indicates that integrity is simply “acting with honesty in all situations” (p. 17) and as the “daily demonstration of moral values and professionalism” by Regina (2017, p. 41). Other popular definitions for integrity include the dictionary entries listed below:

· Firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values (Merriam-Webster at https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/integrity);

· Adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty (Dictionary.com at https://www.dictionary.com/browse/integrity); and,

· The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles (Oxford Dictionary at https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/integrity).

These listings, however, lack the definitional clarity needed to develop an organizational culture of integrity. As operationally defined by Black’s Law Dictionary (1990), though, integrity can also be more accurately conceived as “soundness or moral principle and character, as shown by one person dealing with others in the making and performance of contracts, and fidelity and honesty in the discharge of trust” (p. 809). In addition, in a organizational context, integrity can also be conceptualized as a “stool with three legs” (Lander & Nabon, 2015). Conceptualized in this fashion, the three legs of the integrity “stool” are as follows: (a) honesty means being open and truthful about one's feelings, and acknowledging past or present wrongdoings; (b) responsibility means taking 100% ownership of one's 50% in all situations, especially conflict situations; and (c) emotional closure refers to the intent of any actions as ‘closing the psychological space’ or increasing one's sense of community with self and others (Lander & Nahon, 2015, p. 74).

It is important to note, however, that while integrity may exist along a continuum, the concept is essentially an “all or nothing” proposition. For instance, although each of the foregoing three components of integrity is important in its own right, all three of the components must be present for integrity to truly exist in any organizational context at a given point in time (Lander & Nahon, 2015). This means that even in those cases where practitioners consistently demonstrate fidelity and honesty in their business dealings and are forthright in accepting responsibilities for their actions, integrity does not exist in those instances where they continue to hold a grudge against others for perceived or actual wrongdoings. In other words, integrity can be an elusive organizational goal, but there are some proven steps that corporate leaders can take to help inculcate and sustain integrity throughout their companies and these issues are discussed further below.

Developing an organizational culture of integrity

There is a growing recognition among business practitioners in all sectors that unethical practices can have profoundly serious consequences for themselves and their organizations. Indeed, the series of high-profile Enron-type corporate scandals that have surfaced in recent years underscore the seriousness of the problem. In this regard, Aulette and Miller (2017) emphasize that, “The countless number of scandals over the past couple of decades has contributed to an increased focus on ethics. Companies are searching for a way to avoid scandals and develop an ethical culture at all levels of their organizations” (p. 16). As a result, the search for effective strategies that can be used to develop an organizational culture of integrity has intensified in recent years, and the growing body of scholarship that has emerged includes both spurious as well as legitimate guidance.

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On the one hand, it is easy enough for business leaders to proclaim that all of their employees will comply with organizational codes of conduct in ways that promote a culture of integrity, but on the other hand, actually achieving this desirable outcome is another thing entirely. Moreover, when corporate leaders say one thing about the importance of integrity in the workplace but fail to live up to their own standards, the hypocrisy is readily transparent to subordinates who will respond in kind. For example, a corporation that promotes integrity in the workplace through a comprehensive code of conduct that is routinely ignored by corporate leaders is simply setting itself up for unethical business practices from the bottom-up.

Just as integrity can be conceptualized as a three-legged stool with three integral elements that must be present for it to exist, so too is the process by which a culture of integrity can be developed wherein consistency and conformity with ethical standards by all stakeholders receive the highest priority. In this regard, Auletto and Miller (2017) emphasize that, “It has become increasingly evident that ethical principles need to be introduced to employees long before they are involved in an ethical dilemma. Ethics need to be a priority, not just at a corporate level, but also to individuals” (p. 17). Assuming that corporate leaders do in fact “model the way” and provide an example of ethical behaviors in the workplace, the next issue involves how best to ensure that all employees follow suit. This outcome will be facilitated by corporate leaders setting an example, but it will probably not be sufficient to develop an organizational culture of integrity.

One of the most common strategies for developing and sustaining an organizational culture of integrity is the use of codes of conduct (Tinsley, 2002). For instance, Allman (2009) reports that, “Effective detection and prevention of law or ethics violations require publicizing the values and imperatives deemed important by an entity's leadership. Most corporations have promulgated codes of conduct and provide training in the entity's significant values” (p. 55). Other steps that have proven efficacy in developing and sustaining a culture of integrity in public and private sector organizations include those set forth in Table 1 below.

Table 1

Steps to developing an organizational culture of integrity

Step

Description

Step One: Designate a Compliance Owner

Any compliance program must have a designated owner. This owner is often called the “compliance officer” or, even better, the “compliance and integrity officer” to denote that the program is about doing the right thing, not just legal compliance. This person should be a well-qualified member of senior management with direct access to the organization’s governing body, and with reporting responsibility to the top tier of executive management.

Step Two: Implement Written Standards and Procedures

Every organization needs a code of conduct. The code applies to all employees, and to those who do work on the organization’s behalf. The code is an important vehicle for communicating executive management’s clear commitment to organizational culture and ethics, integrity and compliance. The document should state the organization’s mission, goals, values and compliance standards—plus the requirement for appropriate staff to adhere to their professional codes of conduct. The risks that are addressed in the standards and related documents should track with the organization’s risk profile, with more attention being given to the organization’s unique high-risk topics, such as harassment, health and safety, and conflicts of….....

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