A whistleblower, also written as a whistle blower or whistle-blower refers to an individual who exposes information or activity. The activity or information can be of any kind and is deemed unethical, illegal, or not right within a public or private organization. Whistle-blowers often face some kind of retaliation from the organizations they expose, and they may need to seek protection or flee. To know more about a whistleblower San Bernardino CA is the place to consider visiting.
The whistle that referees use to signal foul or illegal play in a game is the source of the term whistleblower. The term is believed to have been coined in the 1970s by an individual called Ralph Nader. The coining of the term was an attempt to distance the act from negative connotations associated with related word such as informers and snitches. The related terms were seen negatively in the society.
Information on wrongdoing can be classified in many ways. Some of the ways include violation of organizational regulations, law or policy, threat to national security, threat to public interest, fraud, and corruption. Whistleblowing can be done internally or externally depending on the circumstances. The most prevalent kind of whistleblowing is internal whistleblowing. In internal whistleblowing, the whistle-blower reports the information they have regarding wrongdoings to parties within the organization. This could be the management, other employees, or the relevant department.
Systems for reporting misconduct exist in most organizations. According to research, efficiency is higher in systems where whistleblowers have a choice of options. It is much better that the individual remains anonymous after making the report. Because of lack of retaliation, anonymous reporting mechanisms encourage workers to report misconduct when they see it.
The second category of whistle-blowers is external whistle-blowers. In this category, information on misconduct is reported to persons and entities outside (third parties) the organization. The third party is usually independent from the organization in question. The nature and severity of misconduct usually determines the kind of third party chosen. Common examples of third parties are watchdog agencies, the media, law enforcement agencies, and lawyers.
Cases of retaliation against whistle-blowers have been increasing over the years because of the conventional methods of whistleblowing. As a result, a third method of whistleblowing has been invented. This method involves using an external agency to report misconduct to the management of an organization without revealing the identity of the whistle-blower. An example of an organization that offers such services is the International Whistleblowers.
Whistle blowers are often offered legal protection in most countries. The legal protection varies from one country to another and is dependent on many factors. Some of the factors that affect legal protection include country of original activity, how secrets were revealed, where secrets were revealed, and how misconduct finally become public knowledge.
One needs to be brave to whistle-blow, given the amount of retaliation they stand to face. The list of negative consequences has no end. The list includes isolation, social stigmatization, assassination of character, humiliation, broken promises, formal reprimand, disillusionment, and difficult court proceedings among others.
The whistle that referees use to signal foul or illegal play in a game is the source of the term whistleblower. The term is believed to have been coined in the 1970s by an individual called Ralph Nader. The coining of the term was an attempt to distance the act from negative connotations associated with related word such as informers and snitches. The related terms were seen negatively in the society.
Information on wrongdoing can be classified in many ways. Some of the ways include violation of organizational regulations, law or policy, threat to national security, threat to public interest, fraud, and corruption. Whistleblowing can be done internally or externally depending on the circumstances. The most prevalent kind of whistleblowing is internal whistleblowing. In internal whistleblowing, the whistle-blower reports the information they have regarding wrongdoings to parties within the organization. This could be the management, other employees, or the relevant department.
Systems for reporting misconduct exist in most organizations. According to research, efficiency is higher in systems where whistleblowers have a choice of options. It is much better that the individual remains anonymous after making the report. Because of lack of retaliation, anonymous reporting mechanisms encourage workers to report misconduct when they see it.
The second category of whistle-blowers is external whistle-blowers. In this category, information on misconduct is reported to persons and entities outside (third parties) the organization. The third party is usually independent from the organization in question. The nature and severity of misconduct usually determines the kind of third party chosen. Common examples of third parties are watchdog agencies, the media, law enforcement agencies, and lawyers.
Cases of retaliation against whistle-blowers have been increasing over the years because of the conventional methods of whistleblowing. As a result, a third method of whistleblowing has been invented. This method involves using an external agency to report misconduct to the management of an organization without revealing the identity of the whistle-blower. An example of an organization that offers such services is the International Whistleblowers.
Whistle blowers are often offered legal protection in most countries. The legal protection varies from one country to another and is dependent on many factors. Some of the factors that affect legal protection include country of original activity, how secrets were revealed, where secrets were revealed, and how misconduct finally become public knowledge.
One needs to be brave to whistle-blow, given the amount of retaliation they stand to face. The list of negative consequences has no end. The list includes isolation, social stigmatization, assassination of character, humiliation, broken promises, formal reprimand, disillusionment, and difficult court proceedings among others.
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