The Integrity Thermometer

The ethics and integrity of an organization can be measured in multiple ways. One way to measure the ethics and integrity is by using the Ethics & Integrity Thermometer, which I have developed in 1994 and improved multiple times since then.
The Ethics & Integrity Thermometer is a concise and scientifically validated questionnaire, in hardcopy or digital form, which anonymously measures:

  • the extent to which observed unethical behavior takes place;
  • what the attitude of management and employees is to such behavior; and
  • to what extent the organizations promote ethical behavior and discourage unethical behavior.


  • The advantage of questionnaire-based research is that it is fast and efficient. Furthermore, statistical analyses can be produced to find relationships between variables. In addition, the quantitative results can be compared between different units within the organization, in time as well as with other organizations. To this end, KPMG has an international database.

    The Thermometer has been conducted in many organizations around the world.