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Whistleblowing and organizational ethics.
1University of Western Ontario, London, Canada. slray@uwo.ca
Nursing Ethics
|July 15, 2006
Summary
When internal organizational ethics fail, external whistleblowing becomes necessary. This study explores building ethical infrastructures and a relational ethics approach to prevent negative whistleblowing consequences.
Area of Science:
- Organizational Ethics
- Business Ethics
- Professional Standards
Background:
- Internal whistleblowing mechanisms failed to address professional standard violations.
- Lack of organizational support for whistleblowers indicates ethical failures.
- External whistleblowing occurred as a last resort.
Purpose of the Study:
- Discuss an external whistleblowing event.
- Analyze organizational ethical failures.
- Propose strategies to reduce external whistleblowing.
Main Methods:
- Review of an external whistleblowing case.
- Analysis of organizational ethics frameworks.
- Presentation of a relational ethics approach.
Main Results:
- Failure to support internal whistleblowing signifies a breakdown in organizational ethics.
- External whistleblowing can result from inadequate ethical infrastructure.
- A relational ethics approach offers a proactive solution.
Conclusions:
- Organizations must foster robust ethical infrastructures to prevent external whistleblowing.
- Implementing a relational ethics approach can create a moral community.
- Addressing ethical concerns collaboratively minimizes negative consequences for whistleblowers.
Keywords:
Bioethics and Professional Ethics