What motivates internal whistleblowing? A typology adapted to the French context

Transparency and ethics are nowadays often cited as a way to remedy various difficulties faced by companies. However, whistleblowing employees who are an example of this are potentially confronted with silence or reprisals. The researchers have sought to apprehend the reasons pushing to whistleblow but the motivations are complex. Although some studies have tried to create profiles of whistleblowers, they have been led in cultural and legislative contexts where the whistleblower may be internal or external to the company, act out of revenge, or be financially rewarded for the information reported, none of which the Sapin II law in France permits. Using a qualitative method based on ten life narratives from French employees who have whistleblown, our article seeks to understand their primary motivations for taking this action. The research will first present the French definition of a whistleblower and the motivations identified in the Anglo-Saxon context from which most studies originate. Following the detailed presentation of the methodology, we will explain the typology of four profiles obtained from the analysis of our results and discuss similarities/differences with the Anglo-Saxon work. In a context where many organizations are promoting the establishment of a genuine ethical and democratic spirit, this typology will aim to identify the arguments that can be used upstream to encourage the process. It can also be used as a tool for training managers and employees to better understand whistleblowing, explaining to them that it is part of a predominantly positive approach, thereby limiting reprisals and stimulating the feedback on dysfunctions within the organization.     

Acts of Last Resort: Asylum,Whistleblowing and the Anthropology of Secrecy

Anthropologists face fresh challenges as they endeavour to conduct research in an increasingly securitised and secretive world. Those who wield asymmetrical power in society often seek to guard information and knowledge. Therefore, it is imperative that anthropologists seek new ways of navigating the politics of secrecy if they are to reveal anything of its inner workings. In pursuit of this imperative, this paper examines practices of whistleblowing and posits secrecy as a dialectic that is characterised by processes and practices that work towards concealment, as well as revelation. In shifting the analytical focus from that which is concealed to what is revealed in acts such as whistleblowing, we contend that anthropologists may elucidate something about secrecy that is revealing of context-specific forms of agency and power. In doing so, analysis draws upon Australia’s secretive immigration and border protection regime and in particular a recent government inquiry that enabled whistleblowers to reveal details of secrets that had previously been closely held.     

Self‐Reported Likelihood of Whistleblowing by Social Work Students

This article presents a first study on the professional–ethical dilemma of whistleblowing in social work, and suggests some lines for further research on this topic as well as ways for integrating it in the social work curriculum. The study examines the self‐reported readiness of social work students to blow the whistle, whether internally or externally. Internal disclosure entails reporting the wrongdoing to an authority within the organization. External disclosure entails reporting the offense to an outside agency, such as the police, professional organization, or press. The findings indicate that the students view the acts that are detrimental or cause injustice to the client in a very serious light. In dilemma situations such as these, the students reported a willingness to act. The students also report considerably greater likelihood of whistleblowing internally than externally.     

Whistleblowing processes in Swedish public organisations—complaints and consequences

Research on whistleblowing in Sweden is scarce. In this explorative study 21 cases of whistleblowing from human service organisations in Sweden were examined. Extensive material from thematic interviews with 28 whistleblowers, 30 key persons and documents from supervisory authorities such as the National Board of Health and Welfare have been analysed.

Some findings were that the organisation problems motivating whistleblowing were usually cutbacks in vital services for users, unethical working methods or abuse of clients. Internal whistleblowing was usually met with silence from supervisors and directors. The whistleblowers then went on with external whistleblowing by reporting the bad conditions to the higher supervisory authorities who started thorough investigations. Their actions caused a lot of negative reactions in the organisation, but they were also supported by media and ordinary citizens.

The retaliation processes against the whistleblowers were described. Half of the interview group has left their positions, either on sick leave or by changing jobs. The findings show a stigmatisation process with severe consequences for the individuals. But the cited organisations usually had to change their illegal or immoral practices and benefited in the long run from the whistleblowing events.