Skip to main content

Possible Outcomes for Whistleblowers After They Speak Out

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Regulations and Applications of Ethics in Business Practice

Abstract

Whistleblowers are people who witness serious wrongdoings and report these violations at or outside their workplace which will disclose unethical or illegal behavior to higher management (internal whistleblowing) or the public and media (external whistleblowing). What is the result of this act? This paper analyzes and reviews what happens to whistleblowers if they blow the whistle both internally and externally. Would they fire or reward by the employer or society for their behaviors? Would they encourage or protect? For this purpose, cases about whistleblowing and the actors of these cases (whistleblowers) from all over the world will be analyzed from the behavioral perspectives. This study is useful for board of directors, managers, and society to attract their attention about whistleblowers’ rights and issues about their position after they do these behaviors.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 99.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 129.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/06/10/edward-snowden-whistleblowers_n_3414345.html#slide=2551247; http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/apr/20/israel-mordechai-vanunu-hero-edward-snowden).

  2. 2.

    http://www.jeffreywigand.com/bio.php.

  3. 3.

    http://www.biography.com/people/edward-snowden-21262897; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Snowden.

  4. 4.

    http://fairwhistleblower.ca/wbers/canadian_wbs.html.

  5. 5.

    http://www.cjfe.org/resources/features/update-canadian-whistleblower-edgar-schmidt.

  6. 6.

    http://www.nationalmagazine.ca/Articles/November/The-whistleblower.aspx.

References

  • Baekgaard O (1984) The cost of whistleblowing. http://multinationalmonitor.org/hyper/issues/1984/06/baekgaard.html. Accessed 31 May 2014

  • Ball NM (2005) Whistleblowers and the regulation of stochastic pollution. Master thesis, Dalhousie University, Canada

    Google Scholar 

  • Bjorkelo B, Einarsen S, Birkeland Nielsen M, Matthiesen SB (2011) Silence is golden? Characteristics and experiences of self-reported whistleblowers. Eur J Work Organ Psychol 20(2):206–238

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Caillier JG (2013) Do employees feel comfortable blowing the whistle when their supervisors practice transformational leadership. Int J Public Adm 36:1020–1028

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen C, Lai C (2014) To blow or not to blow the whistle: the effects of potential harm, social pressure and organizational commitment on whistleblowing intention and behavior. Bus Ethics: Eur Rev

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dasgupta S, Kesharwani A (2010) Whistleblowing: a survey of literature. IUP J Corp Governance 9(4):57–70

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis M (2012) Whistleblowing. Encycl Appl Ethics, 531–538

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Domfeh KA, Bawole JN (2011) Muting the whistleblower through retailation in selected African countries. J Public Aff 11(4):334–343

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Firtko A, Jackson D (2005) Do the ends justify the means? Nursing and the dilemma of whistleblowing. Aust J Adv Nurs 23(1):51–56

    Google Scholar 

  • Fountain L (2013) How loud can that whistle blow? Edpacs: The EDP audit, control and security newsletter. Taylor and Francis, UK

    Google Scholar 

  • Gao J, Greenberg R, Wong-on-Wing B (2014) Whistleblowing intentions of lower-level employees: the effect of reporting channel, bystanders, and wrongdoer power status. J Bus Ethics 126(1):85–99

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gottschalk P (2011) Corporate social responsibility, governance and corporate reputation. World Scientific Publishing, USA

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Hansson L (2012) The private whistleblower: defining a new role in the public procurement system. Bus Politics 14(2), Article 2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hedin U, Mansson S (2012) Whistleblowing processes in Swedish Public organisations—complaints and consequences. Eur J Social Work 15(2):151–167

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson RA (2003) Whistleblowing, when it works and why. Lynne Rienner Publishers, USA

    Google Scholar 

  • Keenan JP (2007) Comparing Chinese and American managers on whistleblowing. J Empl Respons Rights 19:85–94

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keenan JP (2002) Comparing Indian and American managers on whistleblowing. Empl Responsibilities Rights J 14(2/3):79–89

    Google Scholar 

  • Kelly D, Jones A (2013) When care is needed: the role of whistleblowing in promoting best standards from an individual and organizational perspective. Qual Ageing Older Adults 14(3):180–191

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keil M, Tiwana A, Sainsburg R, Sneha S (2010) Toward a theory of whistleblowing intentions: a benefit-to-cost differential perspective. Decis Sci 41(4):787–812

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lewis D (2006) The contents of whistleblowing/confidential reporting procedures in the UK. Empl Relat 1:76–86

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lewis D (2011) Whistleblowing in a changing legal climate: is it time to revisit our approach to trust and loyalty at the workplace? Bus Ethics: Eur Rev 20(1):71–87

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MacNab BR, Worthley R (2008) Self-efficacy as an intrapersonal predictor for internal whistleblowing: a US and Canada examination. J Bus Ethics 79:407–421

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MacNab B, Brislin R, Worthley R, Galperin BL, Jenner S, Lituchy TR, MacLean J, Aguilera GM, Ravlin E, Tiessen JH, Bess D, Turcotte M (2007) Culture and ethics management whistle-blowing and internal reporting within a NAFTA country. Context 7(1):5–28

    Google Scholar 

  • Malek J (2010) To tell or not to tell? The ethical dilemma of the would-be whistleblower. Accountability Res 17:115–119

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Malmstrom F, Mullin D (2014) Why whistleblowing doesn’t work. Skeptic Mag 19(1):30–35

    Google Scholar 

  • Mansbach A, Melzer I, Bachner YG (2012) Blowing the whistle to protect a patient: a comparison between physiotherapy students and physiotherapists. Physiotherapy 98:307–312

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mecca JS., Giorgini V, Medeiros K, Gibson C, Devenport L, Connely S, Mumford M (2014) Perspectives on whistleblowing: faculty member viewpoints and suggestions for organizational change. Accountability Res 21:159–175

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miceli MP., Near JP (1985) Characteristics of organizational climate and perceived wrongdoing associated with whistle‐blowing decisions. Pers Psychol 38(3):525–544

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miceli MP., Near JP (1992) Blowing the whistle: the organizational and legal implications for companies and employees. Lexington Books

    Google Scholar 

  • Miceli MP, Near JP, Dworkin TM (2009) A word to the wise: how managers and policy-makers can encourage employees to report wrongdoing. J Bus Ethics 86:379–396

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Near JP, Rehg MT, Van Scotter JR, Miceli MP (2004) Does type of wrongdoing affect the whistle-blowing process? Bus Ethics Q 14(2):219–242

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Park H, Blenkinsopp J, Kemal Oktem M (2008) Cultural orientation and attitudes toward different forms of whistleblowing: a comparison of South Korea, Turkey and UK. J Bus Ethics 82:929–939

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Park C, Keil M (2009) Organizational silence and whistleblowing on IT projects: an integrated model. Decis Sci 40(4):901–918

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Philipsen NC, Soeken D (2011) Preparing to blow to whistle: a survival guide for nurses. J Nurse Pract 7(9):740–746

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Read W, Rama DV (2003) Whistle-blowing to internal auditors. Manag Auditing J 18(5):354–362

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rehg MT, Miceli MP, Near JP, Van Scotter JR (2008) Antecedents and outcomes of retailation against whistleblowers: gender differences and power relationships. Organ Sci 19(2):221–240

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rothweel GR, Baldwin JN (2007) Ethical climate theory, whistleblowing and the code of silence in police agencies in the state of Georgia. J Bus Ethics 70:341–361

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stansbury JM, Victor B (2009) Whistle-blowing among young employees: a life-course perspective. J Bus Ethics 85:281–299

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sims RL, Keenan JP (1998) Predictors of external whistleblowing: organizational and intrapersonal variables. J Bus Ethics 17(4):411–420

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Teo H, Caspersz D (2011) Dissenting discourse: exploring alternatives to the whistleblowing/silence dichotomy. J Bus Ethics 104:237–249

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tavakoli AA, Keenan JP, Karanovic BC (2003) Culture and whistleblowing an empirical study of croatian and united states managers utilizing Hofstede’s cultural dimensions. J Bus Ethics 43:49–64

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tsahuridu EE, Vandekerckhove W (2007) Organizational whistleblowing policies: making employees responsible or liable. J Bus Ethics 82:107–118

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Uys T (2000) The politicization of whistleblowers: a case study. Bus Ethics: Eur Rev 9(4):259–267

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Uys T (2008) Rational Loyalty and whistleblowing: the South African context. Curr Sociol 56:904–921

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vandekerckhove W (2011) Rewarding the whistleblower—disgrace, recognition or efficiency. In: Marek A, Gasparski WW (eds) Whistleblowing: in defense of proper action. Transaction Publishers, New Jersey, pp 21–33

    Google Scholar 

  • Vadera AK, Aguilera RV, Caza BB (2009) Making sense of whistle-blowing’s antecedents: learning from research on identity and ethics programs. Bus Ethics Q 19(4):553–586

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Waytz A, Dungan J, Young L (2013) The whistleblowers’ dilemma and the fairness-loyalty tradeoff. J Exp Social Psychol 49:1027–1033

    Article  Google Scholar 

Internet

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Emel Esen .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Esen, E. (2018). Possible Outcomes for Whistleblowers After They Speak Out. In: Bian, J., Çalıyurt, K. (eds) Regulations and Applications of Ethics in Business Practice. Accounting, Finance, Sustainability, Governance & Fraud: Theory and Application. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-8062-3_2

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics