Whistle-Blowing

Whistle blowing gets real By Sandeep Krishnan An exploration into what makes some employees blow the whistle against wrong practices and corruption in the organization, how it impacts the organization and the whistle blower, and what organizations can do to create an environment which helps employees to prevent organizationally and socially undesirable practices. When Time magazine described the year 2002 as the ‘year of corporate governance’ and three women filled their cover story, the organizations and society as a whole recognized the role of whistle blowers in maintaining the sanctity of corporations. Cynthia Cooper of World com, Sherron Watkins of Enron and Coleen Rowley of FBI made some of the most sensational scandals. Corporate America and in general most of the countries across the globe are facing the impact of deteriorating governance both in the public and corporate domain. However the actions of whistle blowers and associated corporate governance concerns have brought about much debate in business and government circles. It would be intriguing to explore what makes some employees blow the whistle against wrong practices and corruption in the organization, how it impacts the organization and the whistle blower, and what organizations can do to create an environment which helps employees to prevent organizationally and socially undesirable practices. Experts define whistle blowing as the disclosure by organizational members (former or current) of illegal, immoral or illegitimate practices under the control of their employers, to persons or organizations that may be able to affect action. While the reporting of sensitive issues may be part of the individual's role within the organization (e.g., internal auditors, inspectors), when the individual finds it necessary to reveal such findings to organizational members outside the normal chain of command, it is also considered whistle-blowing through internal channels. Whistle blowing also encompasses...