Personal & Organizational Integrity Flashcards

A public manager discovers that a subordinate has been falsifying timesheets. The best first action is to:

Answer: Document the findings and report through proper channels

Documenting and reporting through proper channels ensures due process and organizational accountability.

Organizational integrity is BEST described as:

Answer: Alignment between stated values and actual organizational behavior

Organizational integrity means the organization consistently acts in accordance with its declared values and ethical commitments.

A manager is pressured by a political appointee to hire an unqualified candidate. The most ethical response is to:

Answer: Explain the merit-based requirements and decline to proceed improperly

Public managers must uphold merit-based hiring principles even under political pressure.

Which behavior BEST demonstrates personal integrity in public service?

Answer: Admitting a mistake and taking corrective action promptly

Acknowledging errors and correcting them reflects the accountability central to personal integrity.

An employee reports that a supervisor is retaliating against a whistleblower. Under integrity principles, the manager should:

Answer: Investigate the retaliation claim independently and protect the reporter

Retaliation against whistleblowers undermines organizational integrity and is prohibited in most public sector frameworks.

The concept of 'tone at the top' in public organizations refers to:

Answer: Senior leadership modeling ethical behavior that sets cultural expectations

Tone at the top means leaders' visible conduct shapes the ethical culture throughout the organization.

A public manager receives a gift from a contractor whose bid is under review. The manager should:

Answer: Decline the gift and disclose the offer to ethics officials

Declining and disclosing protects the integrity of the procurement process and the manager's impartiality.