My Core Belief

Student’s Name

University of Maryland University College

Pro:600 9046 Communicating, Problem Solving, and Leading in Professional Fields (2221)

Theresa Lechton

17 January 2022

My Core Belief

Throughout my educational and professional experiences, I have always prided myself on the core value of integrity. Integrity is the virtue of being honest, trustworthy, and having strong moral principles (Dunn, 2009). Having integrity implies that you know what is right and wrong, and people with integrity reliably do the right thing. I always admire any person with integrity since they possess a moral compass that does not waver. For me, integrity is internally based on the moral code of ethics that defines my brand. Having integrity has served me incredibly well in school and the workplace.

Having integrity as my core belief has significantly benefited me in school. I have always been practicing academic integrity ever since I joined the school. By definition, academic integrity refers to pursuing scholarly activity in an honest, open, and responsible way. As part of learning, we have many assignments and exams to complete. These exams and assignments are intended to assist learners in understanding their subject by requiring them to showcase how well they have engaged with and understood the materials covered in class through completing assessment tasks. I ensure that I do not practice any form of academic dishonesty, such as copying and paraphrasing my coursemates’ assignments. Some students think that copying their peers’ works is an easy way to complete their assignments. As such, they end up not completing their own assignments. To me, this is dishonesty, and my virtue of integrity can never allow me to practice such behaviors. Academic integrity has helped me understand the class content more. It has also made it much easier to study for my exams. Also, having integrity in school has allowed me to make trustworthy bonds with my tutors, peers, and everyone else around me.

Additionally, integrity has benefited me in my workplace. This quality has enabled me to build trust with my employer and workmates. Ever since my employer noted my integrity, they have also trusted my work and always considered me as a responsible person. They respect me for that, and I have been promoted occasionally as everyone trusts me and considers me capable of completing assigned tasks and meeting goals on time. I have also received positive comments from my supervisors, who enjoy working with me as they do not have to push me to do what is expected. My professional integrity has also benefitted the organizations have worked for. It has allowed me to work collaboratively with my colleagues, which has improved overall organizational performance and customers satisfaction.

Overall, integrity is a virtue everyone should practice. I have personally enjoyed its benefits. Academic integrity has made my learning experience fun and satisfying and has allowed me to get good grades in my exams. This has been achieved by ensuring that I complete all my class assignments and projects and adhering to the school rules and regulations. On the other hand, professional integrity has enabled me to become a trusted employee and build healthy relationships with my employers and colleagues.

References

Dunn, C. P. (2009). Integrity matters. International Journal of Leadership Studies, 5(2), 102-125.