...report among reporters and society. As we know, integrity is a part of ethical values that shows the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. It is important to be integrity person to ensure the task or jobs are more honest and there is no abuse of power among the public or private employees. The situation can be seen in several countries, there are a lot of unethical behaviors from employer or employees. There must be a reason unethical behavior happened. So, whistle-blowing protection was introduced in order to prevent any unethically behaviors in organization such as fraud, corruption, abuse of power and so on. Whistle-blowing has been defined as ‘disclosure by a current of former organization member of illegal, inefficient, or unethical practices in a organization to a person or parties who have the power or resources to take action ( Near and Meceli, 1985). It continues to receive media intention (Vinten, 1997). Whistle blowing is a deliberate non-obligatory act of disclosure, which gets onto public record and is made by a person who has or had privileged access to data or information of an organization, about non-trivial illegality or other wrongdoing whether actual, suspected or anticipated which implicates and is under the control of that organization, to an external entity having potential to rectify the wrong doing. Whistleblowing is presented as dissent, in response to an ethical dilemma, in the form of a public accusation against an organization...
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...Applying Ethics in Business Judy Blair-Jackson Kaplan University Ethics in Business Since the past decade more companies are focusing on incorporating ethical principles in business transactions and decision-making. One of the factors that have caused this shift on ethical focus is the financial crisis in the corporate world. Many reputable companies, CEO’s, CFO’s, and auditors have been implicated for fraudulent business activities. It is hoped that if businesses focus on building an ethical culture in the organization this may act as a deterrent to management and employees engaging in unethical business transactions and decision-making. Schein (1985) posits that the “organization’s culture is a cognitive framework, consisting of attitudes, values, behavioral norms, and expectations shared by organization members” (as cited in Brooks & Dunn, 2012, p. 254). Organizational culture can positively or negatively affect employees’ behavior. Where there is no focus of management on ethical behavior, employees may get the wrong message about the company’s stance on ethical principles. On the other hand where management displays and discusses ethics with employees, this shows a commitment from them that the company’s values ethical principles and behaviors. Management’s commitment and support to ethical standards must be evident through their actions. Brooks & Dunn (2012) stated that “it is vital that organizations create an environment culture where appropriate shared...
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...Introduction Whistle blowing is a term used to describe a person who reports a wrongdoing to a superior or an authority figure in order to stop the offense. At first thought whistle blowing may seem like an easy decision, but it can easily materialize into a difficult ethical dilemma. In a healthcare environment nurses are expected to put the welfare of there patients first, but what if the consequence of blowing the whistle is committing career suicide? Nurses need to know about this ethical dilemma so when a situation, such as the aforementioned, arises they will know what to do and hopefully make the right decision. This topic really appealed to me because I believe that it is an issue that all nurses will be faced with one day. Additionally it goes against everything I was taught growing up, I was raised to never “taddle tell” or as I got older to never “snitch”. As I now pursue a career in nursing theses rules no longer apply, and the safety and welfare of my patients must come first. Review of Literature One study conducted by Professor Firth-Cozens (2003) asked over 1,700 nurses and doctors “would you blow the whistle on a colleague?” Professor Firth-Collins and his team also explored the factors that go along with whistle blowing; these factors included the fear of retribution, the uncertainty of judging another’s competence and the desire to support other colleagues (“Would you”, 2003). The results were interesting as differences between doctors and nurses were...
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...Is whistle blowing appropriate? Whistle blowing legislation and organizational whistleblowing policies are intended to reduce the wrongdoing in organizations and protect the person that reports these wrongdoings. It is easier for employees to report wrongdoing when the issue of of a legal nature, as compared to wrongdoings that have an ethical issue to them. The legal wrongdoing is clearer and therefore the whistleblower has less confusion in the matter. Additionally, the whistleblower may feel that they are legally responsible if they do not report the behavior or incident (Tsahuridu & Vandekerckhove, 2008). Ethical wrongdoing is mercurial, leaving the issue open for translation, if it is not clearly stated as wrong in the company policies. Not all issues can be clearly covered even in a comprehensive policy. This leaves employees unclear about the situation and the appropriate action to take. Individuals in the workplace should feel safe reporting potential wrongdoing regardless of exact knowledge of its nature. Any circumstance that appears to be unethical to an individual should be reported and is appropriate. This will assist the individual in continuing to be a moral individual and support the development of an ethical organization (Alleyne, Hudaib, & Pike, 2013; Badaracco & Ellsworth, 1989). Does whistle blowing violate company loyalty? Whistleblowing does present itself as a conflict between the organization or organizational leader...
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...Whistle Blowing in Government or in a Business To speak or keep silent, those are the two of many common issues that plays along with the ethical considerations and morale of a Whistle Blower. On the other hand, what if you saw fraudulent actions of someone, should you speak or keep quiet? What if the person doing the fraudulent actions was a friend or a high ranking official, should you speak or keep silent, these and many others are the complex situations that could happen within a business organization. Whistle blowing, which seems to become increasingly common as employees speak out about ethical concerns or illegal practices in the work place to the public or to authorities. “There is a great deal of evidence to suggest that whistle blowing is one of the most important sources of information or detecting and reducing illegal and unethical corporate behaviors” (Kohn 2011). In general, whistle blowers feel a need to report the incident in order to put a stop to the illegal or ethical concern in the business or to correct them from happening on a regular basis. In the past years, there have been a lot of cases where employees have decided to come up in public eye and expose the unethical behavior within their companies. There is no doubt that many unquestionable practices among business organizations are being committed daily. With all the recent cases of corporate fraud, companies now provide for internal rules to protect the whistle-blower against retaliation,...
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...Being a Whistleblower – Advantages and Disadvantages Whistleblowers are strong and brave people, for example employees, who recognize a wrong behavior of someone or their organization and want to do something against it in order to see that this behavior, or the wrong actions taken, are corrected – for them it is a matter of ethical responsibility, and they need to do it to feel comfortable in their skin. An advantage of this behavior is that the Whistleblowers feel a deep satisfaction making a substantial contribution toward the welfare of society. Of course, personal gratification isn’t the only benefit of becoming a whistleblower. For example, in qui tam cases under the federal False Claims Act, Congress decided to give whistleblowers (or “relators”) a share of the recoveries that result from their lawsuits to encourage people to step forward and take the risks involved in reporting fraud (Qui Tam Team). An overall advantage of whistleblowing is that the welfare of customers and employees can be protected. Blowing the whistle can take a long time and therefore can be very stressful. Families, friends and especially colleagues might not understand the decision and lose patience and trust very quickly. Without someone supporting you, the time until the case has finally settled, could be a hard one. Whistle-blowers have federal protection against recrimination. Regardless, it’s very likely that you will lose your standing in your chosen profession by the insidious practice...
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...“How Personal Can Ethics Get?” Assignment 1: Business 520 How personal differences and preference can impact organizational ethics Individuals’ ethical development is established before entering a company. The influence of family, church, community, and school will determine individual values. Companies are dealing with individuals whose value base has already been established. When choosing a company to work for, one of the things that a person should look for is whether the company has like ethics or values. This makes working for a company a much better fit for your career. Most organizations have a code of conduct which describes its core values and code of ethics. People live in environments that affect them in many ways. They have their own religion, their own point of view toward an issue. While individuals values of are important, the organization has a major impact on the behavior of its members, and can have a positive or negative influence on their values. Business ethics can be defined as written and unwritten codes of principles and values that govern decisions and actions within a company.” For example, for catholic people, when your company forces the staff to work in Christmas day, what are they supposed to do? Work or go to the church? Another example, let’s say that your company harms the environment. As a manager, would you accuse the company? Or keep your work and continue receive salary. There are a lot of situations when your personal preferences...
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...What is a whistle blower? What is a whistle blower? To the untrained eye, you may think that a whistle blower is a person who controls a sport or game with a loud device called whistle. In reality, a whistle blower has become an important part of the American business landscape. So what is a whistle blower? According to Blacks Law Dictionary, a whistleblower is an employee who turns against their superiors to bring a[n] problem out in the open. BusinessDictionary.com states that a whistle blower is a person who discloses improper or criminal activity within an organization. Finally, under Sarbanes Oxley, “A “whistleblower” is someone, usually an employee, who reports an employer who has broken the law to an outside agency.” Under this very important act, whistleblowers are protected by federal and state laws. Employers may not retaliate against them for reporting misconduct. Whistleblowers may not be fired or otherwise mistreated, and in some instances the government may reimburse them for costs incurred as a result of reporting. Most importantly, the federally enacted statute of Dodd – Frank defines a whistle blower as, “Any individual who provides . . . information relating to a violation of the securities laws to the Commission in a manner established, by rule or regulation, by the Commission.” There are two types of whistle blowers: external and internal. An internal whistle blower is a person who reports misconduct on a fellow employee or superior within their company...
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...Unit Three: Case Incident 2: Whistle Blowers: Saints or Sinners Rachel Hogan Kaplan University MT302 Organizational Behavior May 17th, 2011 Corporate whistle-blowing, reporting company wrong-doings is a controversial subject of debate. There have been several widely known cases in which reputations are damaged, sometimes unsubstantiated or falsely, and where informants have received hefty pay-offs. The adoption of the whistle blower law pays informants thirty percent of legal fines received from lawsuits in whistle blowing cases (Judge & Robbins). I believe corporate whistle-blowing is good for organizations, its members, and the general public. It is important for corporate wrong-doings and do-ers to be brought to the attention of senior management. The sooner the wrong-doings are reported and investigated, the better for everyone involved. Before the issue is handled publicly or in court, the organization should have the opportunity to rectify the wrong-doings, which would save money in legal proceedings, and save the reputation of the company. According to our Organizational Behavior textbook, self-fulfilling prophecy has “evolved to characterize the fact that an individual’s behavior is determined by other people’s expectation” (Robbins & Judge, 2007). With this in mind, I believe self-fulfilling prophecy can drive an individual’s search for incriminating evidence or sometimes hinder it. An employee may have a negative self-fulfilling...
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...Current News Event: New Orleans Saints Summary: 1. Introduction 2. Organizational Values 3. Organizational Culture 4. Whistle-blowing 5. Conclusion Today many organizations practice organizational values and culture. However, many times these values and cultures are not followed and sometimes a person has to take a matter in their own hands by whistle-blowing. However, a whistle-blower may be viewed as a traitor in which case it is advisable to seek legal advice before preceding to blow a whistle. Current sports news reported such an incident regarding the New Orleans Saints, at which the defensive coordinator has run bounty system and the coach turned the other way. According to CBS (2012) The National Football League (NFL) commissioner issued a harsh one year suspension to New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton for his role in the team's bounty system that rewarded defensive players for laying injurious hits on opposing teams. The NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell recently wrote, “The NFL’s commitment to the health and safety is not new at all, and is something that all of us have been actively pursuing for many years” (NFL, Health and Safety, 2010). When the word reached him of the New Orleans Saints violation of the organizations anti-bounty rules, Goodell was left with little choice but to come down hard on the team for exercising unethical practices that are contradictory to the NFL’s organizational values. In the aftermath, the decision that Commissioner Goodell would...
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...PROFESSIONAL BEHAVIOUR: THE ACT OF WHISTLE BLOWING Healthcare professionals face various challenges in their workplace. One such challenge is dealing with criminal behavior which one has witnessed or has knowledge of. An ethical issue of human rights has to be keenly looked upon when addressing this; if one has to report such incidences yet the involved party is his or her colleague or friend. This situation could prove challenging but by adhering to and evaluating various bioethical principles in conjunction with one’s own beliefs, professionalism and the organization’s set standards, a solution to such scenarios can occur. This assay argument will base on ethical principles of primary loyalty to the patient. Often individual are identified as the source of the ethical failure. However, one the most important aspects of creating ethical behavior are the culture of environment of the organization in which individuals functions. Managerial ethics assume a position of profound consequences here in the form of organization policies and process, culture espoused vs. values, leadership behavior, rewards punishment, social networks and treatment of employees. As much as organizational policies and process and procedures dictate actions that may have ethical content. The responsibility cannot be “farmed out” to others in order to place the blame outside the organization when the failure occurs. The code of ethics incorporates standards of ethical behavior, particularly when that conduct...
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...change in the organization. • Envision a new culture – this is where you would create ideas of the type of culture that you would want your organization to have. • Share the vision with everyone – after envisioning the type of culture suitable for the organization, the vision has to be shared with every member of the organization in order to have full participation in carrying forward the change. • Get support from leadership – ensure top management buys into the vision and get the needed support from them and gain power in order to help drive change. • Model the culture that was envisioned – the culture of a company reflects the behavior of its leaders. Therefore in bringing forward the change, it is best to have alignment with the leadership team. Question #2 Why would you endeavor or try to develop an ethical programme for...
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...WHISTLE BLOWING Defination Whistle blowing is an attempt by an employee or former employer of an organization to disclose what she or he believes to be wrong doing sin or by the organization (James 1995) In Whistleblowing, raising concerns and speaking up are all phrases which describe disclosing information to an employer or where appropriate a regulator, police or the media about malpractice, wrongdoing or a risk to safety. Whistleblowing is providing a solution to resolve such situations: it opens nonexistent or hidden information sources and channels. The reasons for revealing information can be manifold: e.g. when someone notices such an abuse at his/her place of work and would like to discuss it with the relevant person within the organization. We may call it whistleblowing as well when an employee is forced to try to put an end to some kind of unlawful or malignant activities with the help of extra-organizational channels as within the organization either the proper investigation of the case is not guaranteed or the employee might be subject to reprisals. In many cases someone considers it a cause enough to publicize confidential information when the information in question concerns the public at large. In such cases the whistleblower maintains that informing the public is of much stronger interest (namely of public interest) then reserving the confidentiality, exclusivity of the information. A Whistleblower is an informant who exposes wrongdoing within an organization...
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...employee to “blow the whistle” on a fraudulent scheme they uncover within the firm? Employee handbooks are usually given to employees when they are hired. Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that new employees read the handbook, still there is no guarantee that employees read and understand the whistle-blowing policy. The measure can be taken is by finding out the root cause of employees resistance on blowing the whistle on the fraudulent. There are some barriers to ‘whistle blowing’ such as fear of retaliation, duty of loyalty and confidentiality to the employers, cultural barriers, fear of alienation by peers and lack trust in protection. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) 2003 have recommended complaint handling methods such as develop complaint mechanism to deal with allegations of non-compliance, provide clear rules and procedures for whistle blowing, take steps to ensure those who report the violations in compliance with stated rules are protected against reprisal and ensure that the complaint mechanism themselves are not be abused. Besides that, Multinational Enterprises should refrain from disciplinary or discrimination action against the employees who make the bona fide reports to management or to the competent public authorities on practices that contravene the law. The Whistleblower Protection Act 2010 (WPA) which came into force on 15 December 2010 should be used to encourage employee to blow the whistle. This act is intended...
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...Blowing the Whistle Blowing the Whistle on Workplace Misconduct examines the corporate strategies that promote internal reporting when employees observe wrongdoing. Employees are more likely to blow the whistle on bad behavior when they feel good about their company and believe management has a strong commitment to ethical conduct. In 2009, more than six out of ten employees said they reported work place misconduct when they saw it. The share of workers who report negative behavior rose to 63 percent in 2009, a solid gain from 58 percent in 2007. Between 2000 and 2009 about 59 percent of employees on average said that they observed and reported misconduct, usually to an internal company authority. There is still much work to do because over the decade, four in ten employees who witnessed workplace misconduct did not typically report it. Some companies have linked ethical conduct to performance reviews to make it clear that good behavior is a job expectation. Other companies, believing that some workers do not report violations because they fear retaliation, and have set up hotlines that assure reporting can be done in private with less risk of being seen by a co-worker. Despite the prospect of retaliation, the data showed that most employees would rather report wrongdoing directly to somebody they know than to a hotline. Some employees believe their tips are more likely to be investigated when shared face-to-face instead of with a voicemail or an unfamiliar voice on the...
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