Origin

Promise Integrity originates from Organizational Trust Theory, Psychological Contract Theory, and Brand Credibility Research. It describes how consistently an organization honors the promises it makes — formally (EVP, policies, benefits) and informally (culture messages, leadership behavior, spoken commitments).

In EVP terms: Promise Integrity = the degree of alignment between what the organization says and what employees actually experience.

When promise integrity is high, employees trust leadership, stay engaged, and become advocates. When it is low, even generous benefits lose meaning because the emotional contract breaks. It is the backbone of credibility — for candidates, employees, and the external talent market.

Associated Theories

* Psychological Contract Theory (Rousseau): Employees expect unwritten promises to be honored — breach causes disengagement.

* Organizational Justice Theory: Fair, transparent actions increase perceived integrity.

* Trust Model (Mayer, Davis & Schoorman): Trust grows with consistency in ability, benevolence, and integrity.

* Internal Branding Theory: Brand promises must be reinforced through daily behaviors.

How HR & Organizations Can Use This

* EVP Delivery: Ensure every EVP pillar — growth, wellbeing, culture, flexibility — is matched with real, visible practices.

* Leadership Behavior: Train leaders to act consistently with organizational values — integrity is behavioral, not verbal.

* Policy–Practice Alignment: Review whether employee experiences match what policy documents claim.

* Communication Strategy: Remove exaggerated promises; adopt honesty-based employer branding.

* Change Management: Reinforce trust by following through on commitments during transitions.

* Engagement Surveys: Measure trust erosion indicators tied to promise gaps.

Example in HR Context

If an organization claims: “We are a learning-first culture,” but employees rarely get development opportunities, Promise Integrity collapses.

If the same organization actually invests in reskilling, coaching, and mobility,

Promise Integrity strengthens — and EVP becomes believable , not marketing.