WHISTLEBLOWING

Whistle blowing in its most general form

involves calling(public)attention to
wrong doing, typically in order to avert
harm.
Whistle blowing is an attempt by a
member or former member of an
organization to disclose wrong doing in
or by the organization.

Kinds of Whistle blowing:

Internal Whistle blowing is made to
someone within the organization.
Personal Whistle blowing is blowing the
whistle on the offender, here the charge
is not against the organization or
system but against one individual.

3. The impersonal, External

Whistle Blowing.
Rarely whistleblower are honored
as heroes by their fellow workers,
for the following reasons:

Those did not blow the whistle guilty of

immorality.

They doubt the loyalty of the whistle blower

to the employer.

The whistleblower is perceived as a traitor,

as someone who has damage the firm - the
working family to which he/she belongs.

CRITERIA FOR JUSTIFIABLE WHISTLEBLOWING:

According to Richard T De George there are
three conditions that must hold for whistleblowing to be morally permissible, and two
additional conditions that must hold for it to
be morally obligatory. The three conditions
that must hold for it to be morally permissible
are:

1. The firm through its product or policy will do

serious and considerable harm to the public,
whether in the person of the user of its product,
an innocent bystander, or the general public.
2. Once an employee identifies a serious threat
to the user of a product or to the general public,
he or she should report it to his or her
immediate superior and make his or her moral
concern known. Unless he or she does so, the
act of Whistle blowing is not justifiable.

3. If one's immediate superior does nothing

effective about the concern or complaint,
the employee should exhaust the internal
procedures and possibilities within the firm.
This usually will involve taking the matter
up the managerial ladder, and if necessary
and possible to the board of directors.

The two additional conditions for Whistle

blowing to be morally obligatory:

4. Whistleblower must have accessible

documented evidence that would convince a
reasonable, impartial observer that one's view of
the situation is correct, and that the company's
product or practice posses a serious and likely
danger to the public or to the user of the product.
.

5. The employee must have

good reason to believe that by
going public the necessary
changes will be brought about.
The chance of being successful
must be worth the risk one
takes and danger to which one
is exposed.

George further believes that situation which

involve serious body harm or death are so
different from non-physical harm, such as
financial harm as a result of fraud. He says
non physical harm is not as serious an
injury as suffering physical harm.

Morally justifiable whistle-blowing

are easier, safer and more
efficacious.
Because directors share holders
and other authorities don't pay
much attention to pretty or
unproven complaints.