Whistleblowing

Introduction

In any large organisation, whether it's a government agency or a private corporation, there is a potential for wrongdoing to occur in secret. Sometimes, the only way for this misconduct to come to light is for a person on the inside to speak out. This act of exposing illegal, unethical, or harmful activities within an organisation is known as whistleblowing. Whistleblowers often act out of a sense of public duty, but they frequently pay a heavy personal price for their courage. This article will explore what whistleblowing is, the motivations behind it, and the complex ethical and legal dilemmas it creates.

Learning objectives

After reading this article, you should be able to:

• Define whistleblowing and distinguish it from other types of leaks.
• Identify the common types of wrongdoing that whistleblowers expose.
• Analyse the ethical conflict between loyalty to an employer and duty to the public.
• Understand the personal and professional risks faced by whistleblowers.
• Describe the role of whistleblower protection laws.

What is a Whistleblower? …