Ethical tension points in whistleblowing

Jensen, J. Vernon

doi:10.1007/bf00382941

Cited by 66 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…Greenberger et al (1987) have argued that in many groups, norms against whistle-blowing prevail. As noted by Jensen (1987), co-workers' lives may be made miserable with increased tension, or probing by authorities or reporters. Co-workers may feel betrayed or they may feel guilty for not having come forward themselves (Jensen, 1987).…”

Section: Factors Unexamined In Prior Researchmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…As noted by Jensen (1987), co-workers' lives may be made miserable with increased tension, or probing by authorities or reporters. Co-workers may feel betrayed or they may feel guilty for not having come forward themselves (Jensen, 1987). Consequently, they may reject whistle-blowers, though they may not always be free to do so.…”

Section: Factors Unexamined In Prior Researchmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…Whistle-blowers identify and sometimes propose solutions to organization problems (Graham, 1986). But at the same time, they may also threaten the authority structure of the organization (Weinstein, 1979) or the functioning of work groups (Greenberger et al, 1987;Jensen, 1987). Presumably, when these threats loom large, whistle-blowers experience retaliation (Parmerlee et al, 1982).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

See 2 more Smart Citations

The incidence of wrongdoing, whistle-blowing, and retaliation: Results of a naturally occurring field experiment

Miceli

Near

1989

Employ Respons Rights J

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Section: Factors Unexamined In Prior Researchmentioning

confidence: 93%

Section: Factors Unexamined In Prior Researchmentioning

confidence: 93%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The incidence of wrongdoing, whistle-blowing, and retaliation: Results of a naturally occurring field experiment

Miceli

Near

1989

Employ Respons Rights J

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“…For example, if the conclusion of their ''recognition and assessment'' judgments is that a wrongdoing is due to controllable and intentional acts by company officials, they may have conflicting loyalties to the public welfare and their employer (Graham, 1986). They may try to balance perceived moral/ethical obligations with their commitment to support their families (Jensen, 1987). They may hold strong allegiances to extra-organizational principles, like the right to free speech or a professional code of ethics (Graham, 1986;Rothschild and Miethe, 1994;Van Dyne et al, 1995).…”

Section: Value Conflict and Integrative Complexitymentioning

confidence: 97%

Mad as Hell or Scared Stiff? The Effects of Value Conflict and Emotions on Potential Whistle-Blowers

Henik

2007

J Bus Ethics

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“…Employees do not embark upon the act of whistleblowing lightly. Jensen (1987) identifies various ethical tension points (or moral dilemmas) that the whistleblower has to contend with. The predominant ethical dilemma that the whistleblower faces has to do with the balancing of conflicting loyalties, obligations and values.…”

Section: Whistleblowing and The Morality Of Loyaltymentioning

confidence: 99%

Morality of principle versus morality of loyalty: The case of whistleblowing

Uys¹,

Senekal²

2014

AJOBE

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ABSTRACT. whistleblowing involves the unauthorised disclosure of organisational wrongdoing by an employee (or former employee) to those who are perceived to be in a position to act on this information. when considering whether to disclose such information, whistleblowers confront the conflicting demands of the morality of principle versus the morality of loyalty. The aim of this paper is to explore the dynamics involved in this moral dilemma. A typology reflecting the possible responses in managing such moral dilemmas is developed. Three dimensions related to wrongdoing, namely perceptions, extent of the wrongdoing and power relationships are also analysed. It is concluded that, although the conflicting demands of the morality of principle versus the morality of loyalty will always exist, there are measures that can be taken to limit the impact of these conflicts and in the long run even resolve them. In particular, if loyalty is reconceptualised as rational loyalty, the disclosure of perceived wrongdoing could more easily be interpreted as loyalty to the organisation as a whole.Key words: whistleblowing, business ethics, morality of principle, morality of loyalty, conformity, deviance. IntroductionIssues of corruption and fraud are presently prominent in many African countries. It brings to the fore questions with regard to the extent of organisational wrongdoing and ways in which these problems can be addressed. One such mechanism is through encouraging employees who become aware of organisational wrongdoing to disclose information about the alleged misconduct to a relevant authority. The unauthorised disclosure by an employee or former employee of any illegal and/or immoral behaviour within the workplace to those who are perceived to be in a position to deal with the organisational wrongdoing is commonly known as whistleblowing.Reports in the media and research into whistleblowing reveal that the decision to blow the whistle is not a straightforward one. Although one may be inclined to assume that organisations appreciate such disclosures, and would respond positively, the experience of most whistleblowers suggests otherwise.Numerous cases of whistleblowing demonstrate that the act is in fact not appreciated and that whistleblowers are severely victimised by their employers. In reality employees who become aware of misconduct face a moral dilemma, which might discourage them from blowing the whistle. This dilemma relates to the choice between their obligation to care for the public good and their obligation of loyalty to their employer, that is confronting the conflicting demands of the morality of principle versus the morality of loyalty. A typology reflecting the different possible responses in managing moral dilemmas of this kind is developed. The extent to which the dynamics involved in this moral dilemma influences the choices that actors make, is explored. The paper is concluded with suggestions as to how the conflicting demands of the morality of principle versus the morality of loyalty could be reduce...

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Ethical tension points in whistleblowing

Cited by 66 publications

References 12 publications

The incidence of wrongdoing, whistle-blowing, and retaliation: Results of a naturally occurring field experiment

The incidence of wrongdoing, whistle-blowing, and retaliation: Results of a naturally occurring field experiment

Mad as Hell or Scared Stiff? The Effects of Value Conflict and Emotions on Potential Whistle-Blowers

Morality of principle versus morality of loyalty: The case of whistleblowing

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