Governance, risk management and integrity: pathways to organizational resilience in times of crisis

Purpose This study aims to analyze the interconnections among governance, risk management, public integrity, and social and environmental sustainability within the Brazilian Federal Public Administration. It examines how these elements jointly support organizational resilience in complex crisis contexts, offering empirical and practical insights for professionals and policymakers. Design/methodology/approach A mixed-methods approach was adopted, combining a systematic literature review (2000–2025) conducted using the Methodi Ordinatio protocol, with covariance-based structural equation modeling applied to secondary data from 387 public organizations, as reported in the iESGo index technical report by the Federal Court of Accounts of Brazil (TCU). Findings The results indicate that the alignment among governance, integrity and risk management, in conjunction with the social and environmental dimensions of ESG, strengthens the legitimacy and adaptive capacity of public institutions. The proposed model demonstrated satisfactory fit indices and construct validity, supporting seven of the eight tested hypotheses. Integrity was found to mediate the relationship between governance and risk, while sustainability practices contributed to greater transparency and public trust. Practical implications The findings inform strategies for improving governance and integrity systems and policies, reinforcing evidence-based, risk-informed and sustainability-driven management practices within the public sector. Social implications This research supports the development of more ethical, transparent and resilient public institutions, fostering greater social trust and the advancement of robust public policies in alignment with practitioner objectives. Originality/value This study introduces and empirically tests a comprehensive model that integrates governance, risk, integrity and sustainability, providing new insights to strengthen institutional resilience and public value in complex administrative contexts.