Whistleblowing

A range of studies have by now shown that whistleblowing is related to a risk of exposure to retaliation (Rehg, Miceli, Near, & Van Scotter, 2008), and workplace bullying (Einarsen, 1996, 2000; Matthiesen, 2004), and that this again is associated with extensive consequences on health (Bjørkelo, Ryberg, Matthiesen, & Einarsen, 2008; Lennane, 1993; McDonald & Ahern, 2002; Rothschild & Miethe, 1999). Thus, since systematic whistleblowing research began in the US, the US as well as other nations has developed legal Acts to protect whistleblowers from retaliation and subsequent workplace bullying (Calland & Dehn, 2004).

Whistleblowers do unfortunately run the risk of being exposed to retaliation and workplace bullying when they report unethical treatment of patients, fraud, and sexual harassment at work. Thus, even though studies have shown that it is a myth that all whistleblowers face retaliation (Near & Miceli, 1996), a UK web site informs that the fifth highest rated reason for being bullied collected from 10,000 cases is “blowing the whistle on malpractice, fraud, illegality, breaches of rules, regulations and procedures, or raising health and safety issues” (www.bullyonline.org/related/whistle.htm).

Our research
It has been noted that “media, popular, and regulatory interest is far outpacing the growth of careful scholarly inquiry into the topic” (Miceli & Near, 2005, p. 95). Thus, our qualitative and quantitative research is predominantly focused on self-reported actual whistleblowers and includes both in-depth interviews as well as national representative samples of employees. An overview of publications on whistleblowing and the link to workplace bullying may be found in the menu above.

References

Bjørkelo, B., Ryberg, W., Matthiesen, S. B., & Einarsen, S. (2008). ”When you talk and talk and nobody listens”: A mixed method case study of whistleblowing and its consequences International Journal of Organisational Behaviour, 13(2), 18-40.

Calland, R., & Dehn, G. (2004). Whistleblowing around the world: law, culture and practice. London: Public concern at work (PCaW).

Einarsen, S. (1996). Bullying and harassment at work: epidemiological and psychosocial aspects. Bergen: Department of Psychosocial Science Faculty of Psychology University of Bergen.

Einarsen, S. (2000). Harassment and bullying at work: A review of the Scandinavian approach. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 5(4), 379-401.

Lennane, K. J. (1993). Whistleblowing - a health issue. British Medical Journal, 307(6905), 667-670.

Matthiesen, S. B. (2004). When whistleblowing leads to bullying at work. Occupational Health Psychologist, 1(1), 3.

McDonald, S., & Ahern, K. (2002). Physical and emotional effects of whistleblowing. Journal of psychosocial nursing, 40(1), 14-27.

Miceli, M. P., & Near, J. P. (2005). Standing up or standing by: what predicts blowing the whistle on organizational wrongdoing? In J. J. Martocchio (Ed.), Research in personnel and human resources management (Vol. 24, pp. 95-136). Oxford: Elsevier Ltd.

Miceli, M. P., Near, J. P., & Dworkin, T. M. (2009). A word to the wise: how managers and policy-makers can encourage employees to report wrongdoing. Journal of Business Ethics, 86(3), 379-396.

Nader, R., Blackwell, K., & Petkas, P. J. (1972). Whistle blowing: the report of the conference on professional responsibility. New York: Grossman.

Near, J. P., & Miceli, M. P. (1985). Organizational dissidence: The case of whistle-blowing. Journal of Business Ethics, 4, 1-16.

Near, J. P., & Miceli, M. P. (1996). Whistle-blowing: Myth and reality. Journal of Management, 22(3), 507-526.

Rehg, M. T., Miceli, M. P., Near, J. P., & Van Scotter, J. R. (2008). Antecedents and outcomes of retaliation against whistleblowers: gender differences and power relations. Organization Science, 19(2), 221-240.

Rothschild, J., & Miethe, T. D. (1999). Whistle-blower disclosures and management retaliation. The battle to control information about organization corruption. Work & Occupations, 26(1), 107-128.