Definition of Personal Integrity, Honorable Behavior, and Ethical Codes
Personal integrity is a morally-sound and honest version of self and others that allows one to behave and act according to the personal values and morals that one believes while engaging others as well as self on different issues in life.
Honorable behavior is an act by self or others that would conform to the expected standards and norms that one believes that adds respect and appreciation to the actions and decisions done by one or others. An example of honorable behavior is when one is attempted to take a bribe to help an individual or offer them a particular favor against the rules and laws that guide such processes. Such an act is considered honorable that has protected not only the moral and integrity values of the individual but also the institution concerned, the entire society as well as the nation that many can exemplify and copy as a model to use. It is honorable because they sacrifice self-benefits and egocentric thinking at the expense of the entire society and enhance principles of justice, fairness, and equality to the rest of the people and stakeholders concerned in such a process.
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An ethical code is a group of principles and frameworks that guide self or others in making and determining the decisions and actions that their moral values and beliefs arise. It can either be written or not that can arise from personal experiences, family or culture. An example of living by the ethical codes involves putting alternatives in addressing a given situation that would guide one or others on the decisions that they make about issues of concern in life. For example, when one requires cash, they would first try to access their financial savings if they can help. If not, they can borrow from a financial institution, and they cannot engage in unethical behavior such as theft to get money and help them resolve their needs.
Examples of Professional Dishonesty and the Consequences of Such Actions
Professional dishonesty can place one in a difficult situation that includes the breaking of career and other possible losses in personal life. They range from social, political as well as economic benefits that one had resulting in a difficult life full of regrets because of professional dishonesty. Brian Williams from NBC Nightly News is an example of how professional dishonesty results in negative consequences. He was exposed for lies and exaggerations in his news stories that led to his sack for six months before being restated but on different terms and programs that were less lucrative as the initial deal (Gilliam, 2015). The consequences of the actions was that is damaged his brand and name as a journalist that made it difficult for any potential employer to consider him for any position because of the already damaged image as a result of professional dishonesty. Rachel Dolezal is another example of how professional dishonesty can result in negative consequences that can ruin a career and personal life. She pretended to be black for a long time and enjoyed the benefits designed for black people that include scholarships and work opportunity including the administration and leadership of NAACP. She resigned from the position after the truth was discovered that she misrepresented her race for many years as black. She was outed by her parents as white. The consequences of her actions include losing opportunities in her career and other benefits that include tainting her image and circle of friendship that had trusted her for a long time and engaged in development and changes in the society. Majority of the black community felt that her actions were a significant infringement of the black people rights and privileges that made her make many enemies from parts of the society that had appreciated her for a long time (Oluo, 2015). Rachel Dolezal also embarrassed her family and the white people as a whole as a result of her professional dishonesty.
Reflection on the Role of Personal Integrity in Their Own Life
Personal integrity on own life by practicing honesty and sustaining personal integrity may help one grow professionally and personally but attracting people in one circle that value the moral and ethical conducts linked with people of integrity. People with proven moral integrity in the society have the upper hand in landing lucrative jobs and leadership in many institutions in the society such as those heading investigations and centers that carter for public interests and affairs. It would not only help in developing an enhancing possible career opportunity and growth that include establishing a competent brand of oneself but also it would help create and sustain a personal relationship that might help one enhance and develop their social networks and reap the social benefits that persons of integrity enjoy (Langerak, 2014). In my own life, as a person of integrity, it would result in more benefits that include business opportunities because of the trust that personal integrity generates in relationships. Many people have received recommendations from people that they do not know about simply because of their integrity that has mentored many in the society knowingly and unknowingly. As a person with integrity is likened to a branded product that pleases people resulting in its high demand in the market and the same also replicates to the role that personal integrity would do in my life. Personal integrity also would be used as a model that I can use to establish and bring a stable and disciplined family. It would form the platforms and attributes to be used in teaching the family and particularly the children on the expected behaviors from them as they are part of the brand that makes a family.
The Argument on Why Honesty Matters or Does Not Matter in Today’s World
In today’s society, honesty matters that projects people close to opportunities in life. For example, many institutions presently hiring or with job opportunities do background checks of potential employees and candidates that show interests in the positions before they make the final decisions of hiring. In this case, honest people or people of integrity would have the upper hand in landing such jobs and, thus, increase the chance of them succeeding in a career and personal lives. In today’s world, business is an integral part of the society that provides people with opportunities to explore and increases their financial and economic positions in the society by capitalizing on the globalization concepts that has resulted in increased business opportunities for people. Transactions of business occur from different regions and places in the world through the help of the internet. Therefore, people of integrity would have the upper hand as potential clients conduct reviews and endorsements of people of integrity before the transaction to reduce the chance of fraud (Hartman, DesJardins & MacDonald, 2018). Therefore, they have an upper hand of succeeding in today’s world. On the same note, it is very difficult to build an attainted image in the present world as information spreads very fast via the internet. It is, hence, essential to becoming a person of integrity to avoid such harmful publications that can lead to a disastrous outcome for an individual or organizations by building and sustaining principles and morals that encourage honesty in life and operations of organizations. Personal integrity, thus, is essential due to the benefits that it brings to an individual or organizations life that touches on all aspects that range from the political, economic as well as social benefits thus needs to be supported.
References
Gilliam, F. (2015, June 19). Career Suicide – Lying Like NBC’s Brian Williams. The Azara Group . Retrieved from http://www.theazaragroup.com/brian-williams-nbc-integrity/
Hartman, L. P., DesJardins, J. R., & MacDonald, C. (2018). Business ethics: Decision making for personal integrity and social responsibility. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.
Langerak, E. (2014). Civil disagreement: Personal integrity in a pluralistic society . Washington, DC : Georgetown University Press.
Oluo, I. (2015, June 15). How Rachel Dolezal’s lies hurt black people. The Seattle Globalist . Retrieved from http://www.seattleglobalist.com/2015/06/15/rachel-dolezal-lies-hurt-black-people-spokane-ijeoma-oluo/38338
