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Whistleblowing, Governance and Regulation Before the Financial Crisis: The Case of HBOS

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  • Ian P. Dewing

    (University of East Anglia)

  • Peter O. Russell

    (University of East Anglia)

Abstract

Following the financial crisis of 2008, the Treasury Committee of the UK House of Commons undertook an inquiry into the lessons that might be learned from the banking crisis. Paul Moore, head of group regulatory risk at Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS) during 2002–2005, provided evidence of his experience of questioning HBOS policies which resulted in his dismissal from HBOS. The problems that surfaced at HBOS during the financial crisis were so serious that it was forced to merge with Lloyds TSB, another UK bank, to form the Lloyds Banking Group in which the government took a significant stake. Moore’s evidence to the Treasury Committee revealed that long before the financial crisis, he had raised major concerns with the management of HBOS and with the Financial Services Authority (FSA), the UK financial services regulator. Moore’s evidence led to the submission of further disclosures, replies and rejoinders as evidence to the Treasury Committee. Moore’s case is therefore of considerable interest to researchers of whistleblowing because it is a rare instance of high-level whistleblowing, the details of which subsequently entered the public domain. The information revealed in evidence to the Treasury Committee sheds light on the process of whistleblowing in the context of the governance and regulation of a major UK bank that subsequently had to be rescued by government intervention during the financial crisis. The paper makes a contribution to the wider literature on whistleblowing, and to a greater understanding of aspects of the financial crisis.

Suggested Citation

  • Ian P. Dewing & Peter O. Russell, 2016. "Whistleblowing, Governance and Regulation Before the Financial Crisis: The Case of HBOS," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 134(1), pages 155-169, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:134:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1007_s10551-014-2407-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-014-2407-1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Richard Nielsen & Lakshmi Balachandra & Anna Nielsen, 2013. "Erratum to: Whistle-Blowing Methods for Navigating Within and Helping Reform Regulatory Institutions," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 112(3), pages 549-549, February.
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    5. Ian P. Dewing & Peter O. Russell, 2008. "The individualization of corporate governance," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 21(7), pages 978-1000, September.
    6. Hamid Mehran & Alan Morrison & Joel Shapiro, 2011. "Corporate governance and banks: what have we learned from the financial crisis?," Staff Reports 502, Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
    7. Stephanos Avakian & Joanne Roberts, 2012. "Whistleblowers in Organisations: Prophets at Work?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 110(1), pages 71-84, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Dancsik, Bálint, 2020. "Rendszerszintű kockázat rendszerszintű erkölcs nélkül. Kiegészítések a pénzügyi válságok etikai magyarázatához [Systemic risk without systemic ethics. Supplements to the ethical explanation of fina," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(3), pages 225-243.
    2. Meier, Samira & Rodriguez Gonzalez, Miguel & Kunze, Frederik, 2021. "The global financial crisis, the EMU sovereign debt crisis and international financial regulation: lessons from a systematic literature review," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).

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