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After the wrongdoing: What managers should know about whistleblowing

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  • Near, Janet P.
  • Miceli, Marcia P.

Abstract

Most of us are likely at some point to observe wrongdoing in our organizations, and some of us will blow the whistle to someone with the authority to put a stop to the wrongdoing. Or we may be managers, inspectors, or auditors who serve as the official ‘complaint recipient’ when one of our colleagues wants to report wrongdoing in the organization. Whether we blow the whistle or are tasked with cleaning up after someone else does so, we are better off knowing in advance how the whistleblowing process usually plays out. In this article we discuss the pragmatic implications of 30 years of systematic research about whistleblowing: who does it and when, and why they choose to report the wrongdoing internally (within the organization) or externally (to outsiders). To avoid external whistleblowing, which entails all sorts of costs for the organization, we recommend that managers take clear steps: investigate the allegations, make the results of the investigation known to those affected, correct the problem if one is found, and avoid reprisal against whistleblowers. These actions can increase the chance that information about organizational wrongdoing stays inside the organization, where it may be remedied, instead of being made public.

Suggested Citation

  • Near, Janet P. & Miceli, Marcia P., 2016. "After the wrongdoing: What managers should know about whistleblowing," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 59(1), pages 105-114.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:bushor:v:59:y:2016:i:1:p:105-114
    DOI: 10.1016/j.bushor.2015.09.007
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Michael T. Rehg & Marcia P. Miceli & Janet P. Near & James R. Van Scotter, 2008. "Antecedents and Outcomes of Retaliation Against Whistleblowers: Gender Differences and Power Relationships," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 19(2), pages 221-240, April.
    2. Marcia P. Miceli & Janet P. Near & Charles R. Schwenk, 1991. "Who Blows the Whistle and Why?," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 45(1), pages 113-130, October.
    3. Near, Janet P. & Rehg, Michael T. & Van Scotter, James R. & Miceli, Marcia P., 2004. "Does Type of Wrongdoing Affect the Whistle-Blowing Process?," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 14(2), pages 219-242, April.
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    Cited by:

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    3. Jarle Løwe Sørensen & Ann Mari Nilsen Gaup & Leif Inge Magnussen, 2020. "Whistleblowing in Norwegian Municipalities—Can Offers of Reward Influence Employees’ Willingness and Motivation to Report Wrongdoings?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-12, April.
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    6. Quinteros, María José & Villena, Marcelo J. & Villena, Mauricio G., 2019. "Whistleblowing Behavior in Organizations," MPRA Paper 99215, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 24 Nov 2019.
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    8. Muel Kaptein, 2022. "How Much You See Is How You Respond: The Curvilinear Relationship Between the Frequency of Observed Unethical Behavior and The Whistleblowing Intention," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 175(4), pages 857-875, February.
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    11. Frandyo Izak Muskita & Intiyas Utami & Aprina Nugrahesthy Sulistya Hapsari, 2019. "Effectiveness Testing Of Reporting Systems And Organizational Responses Toward Whistleblowing Intentions," Journal of Contemporary Accounting, Master in Accounting Program, Faculty of Business & Economics, Universitas Islam Indonesia, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, vol. 1(3), pages 131-144, May.
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    13. Hengky Latan & Charbel Jose Chiappetta Jabbour & Ana Beatriz Lopes de Sousa Jabbour, 2021. "To Blow or Not to Blow the Whistle: The Role of Rationalization in the Perceived Seriousness of Threats and Wrongdoing," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 169(3), pages 517-535, March.
    14. Meghan Portfliet, 2022. "Resistance Will Be Futile? The Stigmatization (or Not) of Whistleblowers," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 175(3), pages 451-464, January.
    15. Hengky Latan & Charbel Jose Chiappetta Jabbour & Murad Ali & Ana Beatriz Lopes de Sousa Jabbour & Tan Vo-Thanh, 2023. "What Makes You a Whistleblower? A Multi-Country Field Study on the Determinants of the Intention to Report Wrongdoing," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 183(3), pages 885-905, March.
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