Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Action+Reason
Report a friend who was cheating on a quiz Report to top management about a teacher who gave marks as a special favor Report a friend who didnt put his due share in the group project
An attempt by a member or former member of an organization to disclose wrongdoing in or by the organization. Can be internal or external
Internal- If wrongdoing is only reported to those higher in the organization External-When wrongdoing is reported to external individuals or bodies such as government agencies, newspapers, or public interest groups
The ambivalent attitude toward whistleblowers ensures that, even with legal protection, they may face retaliation in subtle ways: being shunned by co-workers, being closely supervised, feeling alienated etc
Fear of retaliation
Create a Policy A policy about reporting illegal or unethical practices should include
Formal mechanisms for reporting violations, such as hotlines and mailboxes Clear communications about the process of voicing concerns, such as a specific chain of command, or the identification of a specific person in the organization Clear communications about bans on retaliation
In addition, a clear connection should exist between an organization's code of ethics and performance measures. For example, in the performance review process, employees can be held accountable not only for meeting their goals and objectives but also for doing so in accordance with the stated values or business standards of the company.
Is whistle blowing always wrong because employees have a contractual duty to be loyal to their employer and to keep all aspects of business confidential?
There is clear, substantiated evidence that the organization is engaged in some activity that is seriously wronging or will wrong other parties Serious attempts to prevent the wrong through internal whistle blowing have been tried and failed It is reasonably certain that external whistle blowing will prevent the wrong The wrong is serious enough to justify the injuries that external whistle blowing will inflict on oneself, family and other parties