integriteeti

Integriteet, also referred to by the form integriteeti in Estonian grammar, is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles, as well as the consistency between one’s values, statements, and actions. The term also extends to the reliability and wholeness of systems and data, where integrity denotes accuracy and coherence over time. This article uses integriteeti to discuss the concept in general.

Etymology and scope: Integriteet derives from the Latin integritas meaning completeness, and has been adopted into Estonian to cover personal integrity, organizational integrity, and information or data integrity. While related, these strands share a common emphasis on wholeness, ethical alignment, and trustworthiness.

Personal integrity: Core dimensions include honesty, reliability, accountability, and consistency. A person with high integriteet acts in accordance with stated values even when it is difficult or costly, resists corruption or deception, and maintains coherence between beliefs and behavior.

Organizational and data integrity: In organizations, integrity supports ethical culture, transparent governance, and codes of conduct. Breaches can erode trust among employees, partners, and the public. In information technology and science, data integrity means that information remains accurate, complete, and unaltered across its lifecycle, supported by controls such as checksums, audit trails, and versioning.

Measurement and challenges: Integrity is difficult to quantify; it is often assessed through self-report measures, peer assessments, or observable behavior, and may be affected by social desirability bias. Despite limitations, integrity remains a central factor in leadership, governance, research credibility, and social trust.