{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,26]],"date-time":"2026-10-26T04:43:48Z","timestamp":1792989828527,"version":"4.5.0"},"posted":{"date-parts":[[2010]]},"group-title":"SSRN","reference-count":82,"publisher":"Elsevier BV","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"abstract":"The Spanish language version of this paper is available at: <a href=\"http:\/\/ssrn.com\/abstract=1756285\" rel=\"nofollow\">http:\/\/ssrn.com\/abstract=1756285<\/a>.\n<br>\n<br>\nWe present an objective model of integrity that, as we distinguish and define integrity, provides powerful access to increased performance for individuals, groups, organizations, and societies.&nbsp; In this model integrity exists in a positive (objective) realm devoid of normative content. Integrity is thus not about good or bad, or right or wrong or what should be or should not be.<span><span> <\/span><\/span>\n<br>\n<br>\nOur model reveals the causal link between integrity and increased performance, quality of life, and value-creation for all entities, and provides access to that causal link. Integrity is thus a factor of production as important as knowledge and technology. Yet the major role of integrity in productivity and performance has been largely hidden or unnoticed, or even ignored by economists and others.\n<br>\n<br>\nThe philosophical discourse, and common usage as reflected in dictionary definitions, leave an overlap and confusion among the four phenomena of integrity, morality, ethics, and legality. This overlap and confusion confound the four phenomena so that the efficacy and potential power of each is seriously diminished. \n<br>\n<br>\nWe show that defining integrity as honoring one\u2019s word, as we have defined \u201chonoring one\u2019s word\u201d: 1) provides an unambiguous and actionable access to the opportunity for superior performance and competitive advantage at the individual, organizational and social levels, and 2) empowers the three virtue phenomena of morality, ethics and legality. \n<br>\n<br>\nWe also demonstrate that applying cost-benefit analysis to honoring your word guarantees that you will be untrustworthy.\n<br>\n<br>\nThis paper, intended for use in our full semester leadership course (see <a href=\"http:\/\/ssrn.com\/abstract=1263835\" rel=\"nofollow\">http:\/\/ssrn.com\/abstract=1263835 <\/a>), is an abridged version of our full paper of the same title available at: <a href=\"http:\/\/ssrn.com\/abstract=920625\" rel=\"nofollow\">http:\/\/ssrn.com\/abstract=920625 <\/a>.\n<br>\n<br>\nIn creating this abridged version we drew from the full paper referenced above; however we have re-arranged the order of some sections and in some cases added or dropped headings or sub-headings and in some cases added new text.\n<br>\n<br>\nThis abridged paper is written under the assumption that the reader has read the following 6-page document that lays out the basic structure of our model and analysis in an interview format. It is available at: <a href=\"http:\/\/ssrn.com\/abstract=1511274\" rel=\"nofollow\">http:\/\/ssrn.com\/abstract=1511274 <\/a>.\n<br>\n<br>\nFor a full one-day workshop on integrity see: \u201cA New Model of Integrity: The Missing Factor Of Production (PDF file of Keynote and PowerPoint Slides)\u201d (152 pages) available at <a href=\"http:\/\/ssrn.com\/abstract=1559827\" rel=\"nofollow\">http:\/\/ssrn.com\/abstract=1559827<\/a>.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.2139\/ssrn.1542759","type":"posted-content","created":{"date-parts":[[2011,12,28]],"date-time":"2011-12-28T13:46:29Z","timestamp":1325079989000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":10,"title":["Integrity: A Positive Model that Incorporates the Normative Phenomena of Morality, Ethics, and Legality -- Abridged (English Language Version)"],"prefix":"10.2139","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-2046-4999","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Werner","family":"Erhard","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Michael C.","family":"Jensen (Deceased)","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Steve","family":"Zaffron","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"78","reference":[{"key":"ref1","first-page":"326","author":"Susan M Adams","year":"2005","journal-title":"This time it is personal: Employee online shopping at work"},{"key":"ref2","author":"Answers","year":"2007","journal-title":"Beech-Nut Nutrition Corporation. . 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