Integrity and Impartiality

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Integrity and Impartiality

Integrity

 

Integrity means that the moral agent acts according to the inner convictions of a person. His conducts should be free from hypocrisy and deception. His actions should be in conformity with his stated values. But it is hard to follow high morals which one proclaims. The British historian GM Trevelyan has commented on this aspect of Puritanism i.e. rigid pursuit of high morals: “by making a shibboleth of virtue, it (puritanical version of Christianity) bred notorious hypocrites”. But it doesn’t mean that one needs to abandon morals. One should be moral sincerely without making a show of it.

Public leaders who possess integrity create interpersonal trust. Integrity which refers to actions resulting from a set of well ordered commitments and beliefs promotes trusts. Trust implies the capacity to depend on and place confidence in the actions of others. All social interaction depends on integrity and trust. Integrity especially relevant in Public Administration in which cooperative, corroborative and collective efforts are needed to solve interconnected problems. Hence, character, particularly integrity, is essential in leaders and bureaucrats.

In this context public administration writers make a distinction between ‘ethics of compliance’ and ‘ethics of integrity’. In ethics of compliance, public servants are trained or given detailed instructions on various laws, rules, regulations and procedures which govern their working in an organization. After Learning about these matters, public servants are expected to scrupulously follow them. In this process, public servants learn to follow a set of externally imposed commands. However, they may not do any moral thinking on their own.

Ethics of integrity in contrast tries to impart to civil servants the necessary skills to analyze moral problems on their own. They are trained in areas like Public Service ethos, ethical standards and values and in the processes of ethical reasoning. By using such skills public servants will follow ethical norms in their conduct. Ethics of integrity leads to development of moral character with self responsibility and moral autonomy. It relies on internal, positive, proactive and voluntary efforts of public servants rather than on external commands and penalties.

 

Impartiality

Impartiality is a norm of Justice holding that decisions should be based on objective standards, instead of on the basis of bias, prejudice, or preferring the advantage to one person over another for unsuitable reasons. Impartiality is acting solely according to the merits of the case and serving equally well governments of different political persuasions. Impartiality means that civil bureaucrats in carrying out their official work, including functions like procurement, recruitment, delivery of Services etc., should take decisions based on merit alone. Impartiality implies that the behavior of, and treatment by a bureaucrat to any individual or entity has to be exclusively on the basis of merit. An administrator has to take numerous major decisions such as recruitment, procurement and allotment. To make such decisions effective and efficient, there has to be absolute impartiality. Impartiality is the eminence of a person where one is impartial while allocating any goods or services among several people or selecting a person from a set of people based on certain set of abilities.

In Impartiality, candidates must: Perform his responsibilities in a way that is fair, just and equitable and reflects the Civil Service commitment to Equality and diversity they must not act in a way that unjustifiably favors or discriminates against particular individuals or interests.

In political Impartiality, person must: Serve the government, whatever its political Persuasion, to the best of his ability in a way which maintains political impartiality and is in line with the requirements of this code, no matter what your own political beliefs are.

Act in a way which deserves and retains the confidence of ministers, while at the same time ensuring that you will be able to establish the same relationship with those whom you may be required to serve in some future government.

Comply with any restrictions that have been laid down on your political actions.

Candidates must not act in a way that is determined by party political considerations, or use official Resources for party political purposes and allow their personal political views to determine any advice they give or their actions

 

Non Partisanship

 

Non-partisanship is not being precisely owned or allied with any group, party or cause. Non-partisanship can be called political neutrality. Non-partisanship infers that the officer is to do his task without any fear of, or favour to any political party. The values of the administrator will flow from the constitution not from the philosophy of any political party. Non-partisanship is the process of not involving any political party even if the person has strong faith in any political thought.

Non-partisanship strengthens the democratic procedures and institutions along with maintaining the integrity of the service. The administrators are always with continuous interface with the politicians, therefore it is necessary to detach themselves from any political dogma and do his duty sincerely. It does not matter which party is in power. Significance of non-partisanship can be appreciated by considering a situation in which this virtue is absent. If the administrator is motivated to any political party, there would always be a group that would remain alienated from the government services as they would have voted for losing party. It strongly fascinates other prerequisites of moral administration like clearness and trustworthiness.,

Integrity and impartiality are two essential qualities for anyone who wants to be successful in any field. They are also two qualities that are often difficult to maintain, especially in today’s world.

Authenticity is the quality of being true to oneself. It means being honest about who you are and what you believe in, even when it’s difficult. It also means being willing to stand up for what you believe in, even when it’s unpopular.

Consistency is the quality of being reliable and dependable. It means doing what you say you’re going to do, even when it’s inconvenient. It also means being fair and just, even when it’s not in your own best interest.

Fairness is the quality of being impartial and just. It means treating everyone equally, regardless of their race, religion, gender, or social status. It also means being willing to listen to all sides of an issue before making a decision.

Honesty is the quality of being truthful and sincere. It means being honest in your words and actions, even when it’s difficult. It also means being willing to admit when you’re wrong.

Objectivity is the quality of being impartial and unbiased. It means being able to see things from all sides and not letting your personal feelings or opinions cloud your judgment. It also means being able to present information in a fair and balanced way.

Open-mindedness is the quality of being willing to consider new ideas and perspectives. It means being willing to change your mind when presented with new evidence. It also means being tolerant of others, even when you disagree with them.

Rigor is the quality of being thorough and careful. It means doing your research and double-checking your work. It also means being willing to admit when you’re wrong and make changes.

Transparency is the quality of being open and honest. It means being willing to share information and explain your decisions. It also means being accountable for your actions.

Veracity is the quality of being truthful and honest. It means being able to tell the truth, even when it’s difficult. It also means being able to back up your claims with evidence.

These are just some of the qualities that contribute to integrity and impartiality. If you want to be successful in any field, it’s important to strive to develop these qualities.

In addition to the qualities listed above, there are a few other things that you can do to maintain your integrity and impartiality. First, it’s important to be aware of your own biases. We all have biases, whether we’re aware of them or not. Once you’re aware of your biases, you can start to work on overcoming them.

Second, it’s important to be open to feedback. If someone tells you that you’re being unfair or biased, listen to them and try to understand their perspective. You may not agree with them, but it’s important to be open to hearing what they have to say.

Third, it’s important to be transparent. Be honest about your own biases and how they might affect your work. If you’re making a decision, explain your reasoning and be willing to answer questions.

Finally, it’s important to be accountable. If you make a mistake, own up to it and take responsibility. Don’t try to cover it up or shift the blame.

Maintaining your integrity and impartiality is not always easy, but it’s worth it. When you act with integrity and impartiality, you earn the trust of others. This trust is essential for success in any field.

Here are some frequently asked questions and short answers about the following topics:

  • What is the difference between integrity and impartiality?

Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. Impartiality is the quality of being fair and unbiased.

  • What are some examples of integrity?

Some examples of integrity include telling the truth, keeping promises, and doing what you believe is right, even when it is difficult.

  • What are some examples of impartiality?

Some examples of impartiality include judging people fairly, listening to all sides of an issue, and not letting your personal feelings influence your decisions.

  • Why is integrity important?

Integrity is important because it allows us to be trusted and respected by others. It also helps us to make good decisions and to live a moral life.

  • Why is impartiality important?

Impartiality is important because it allows us to make fair and just decisions. It also helps us to be objective and to avoid bias.

  • What are some challenges to integrity?

Some challenges to integrity include temptation, pressure from others, and our own weaknesses.

  • What are some challenges to impartiality?

Some challenges to impartiality include our own biases, our emotions, and our personal relationships.

  • How can we maintain integrity?

We can maintain integrity by following our moral compass, making good choices, and being honest with ourselves and others.

  • How can we maintain impartiality?

We can maintain impartiality by being objective, listening to all sides of an issue, and avoiding bias.

  • What are the benefits of integrity?

The benefits of integrity include trust, respect, and a good reputation. Integrity can also help us to make good decisions and to live a moral life.

  • What are the benefits of impartiality?

The benefits of impartiality include fairness, justice, and objectivity. Impartiality can also help us to make good decisions and to avoid bias.

  • What are the consequences of a lack of integrity?

The consequences of a lack of integrity include distrust, disrespect, and a bad reputation. A lack of integrity can also lead us to make bad decisions and to live an immoral life.

  • What are the consequences of a lack of impartiality?

The consequences of a lack of impartiality include unfairness, injustice, and bias. A lack of impartiality can also lead us to make bad decisions and to avoid making difficult choices.

Sure, here are some MCQs on the following topics:

  • Ethics

  • Which of the following is not an ethical principle?
    (A) Autonomy
    (B) Beneficence
    (C) Non-maleficence
    (D) Justice

  • Which of the following is an example of a deontological ethical theory?
    (A) Utilitarianism
    (B) Kantianism
    (C) Virtue ethics
    (D) All of the above

  • Which of the following is an example of a consequentialist ethical theory?
    (A) Utilitarianism
    (B) Kantianism
    (C) Virtue ethics
    (D) None of the above

  • Professionalism

  • Which of the following is not a characteristic of professionalism?
    (A) Competence
    (B) Integrity
    (C) Confidentiality
    (D) Altruism

  • Which of the following is an example of a conflict of interest?
    (A) A doctor who owns stock in a pharmaceutical company that makes a drug that the doctor prescribes to patients.
    (B) A lawyer who represents a client in a lawsuit against a company that the lawyer’s spouse works for.
    (C) A teacher who accepts gifts from students.
    (D) All of the above

  • Which of the following is an example of plagiarism?
    (A) Copying someone else’s work without giving them credit.
    (B) Paraphrasing someone else’s work without giving them credit.
    (C) Using someone else’s ideas without giving them credit.
    (D) All of the above

  • Research ethics

  • Which of the following is not a principle of research ethics?
    (A) Respect for persons
    (B) Beneficence
    (C) Non-maleficence
    (D) Justice

  • Which of the following is an example of informed Consent?
    (A) A researcher explains the risks and benefits of a study to a participant and the participant agrees to participate.
    (B) A researcher obtains a participant’s signature on a consent form.
    (C) A researcher provides a participant with a copy of the consent form to take home and read.
    (D) All of the above

  • Which of the following is an example of deception in research?
    (A) A researcher tells a participant that a study is about one thing when it is actually about something else.
    (B) A researcher withholds information from a participant about a study.
    (C) A researcher manipulates a participant’s behavior in a study.
    (D) All of the above

  • Ethical decision-making

  • Which of the following is not a step in the ethical decision-making process?
    (A) Identify the ethical issue.
    (B) Gather information.
    (C) Identify the Options.
    (D) Make a decision.

  • Which of the following is not a factor to consider when making an ethical decision?
    (A) The potential consequences of the decision.
    (B) The rights of the people involved.
    (C) The laws and regulations that apply.
    (D) The professional codes of ethics that apply.

  • Which of the following is not a way to resolve an ethical dilemma?
    (A) Consult with an ethics expert.
    (B) Talk to the people involved.
    (C) Get a second opinion.
    (D) Make a decision based on your own personal beliefs.