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Whistleblowing and Information Ethics: Facilitation, Entropy, and Ecopoiesis

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  • Wim Vandekerckhove

    (Business School)

Abstract

This paper analyses whistleblowing from the perspective of Floridi’s information ethics (IE). Although there is a vast body of literature on whistleblowing using micro-ethical (egopoietic) or meso-ethical (sociopoietic) frameworks, whistleblowing has previously not been researched using a macro-ethical or ecopoietic framework. This paper is the first to explicitly do so. Empirical research suggests whistleblowing is a process rather than a single decision and action. I argue this process evolves depending on how whistleblowing is facilitated (positively or negatively) throughout that process, i.e. responding to whistleblowers and providing information about whistleblowing activity. The paper develops a typology of whistleblowing facilitation to complement Floridi’s IE. The findings suggest that for whistleblowing to be beneficial to the informational environment, facilitation must filter out untrue whistleblowing, and achieve closure with the whistleblower, especially when whistleblowing is mistaken or deliberately false. I also find that publishing information about whistleblowing activity can be beneficial for the informational environment, but only if all organizations or all regulators do so.

Suggested Citation

  • Wim Vandekerckhove, 2018. "Whistleblowing and Information Ethics: Facilitation, Entropy, and Ecopoiesis," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 152(1), pages 15-25, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:152:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1007_s10551-016-3294-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-016-3294-4
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Esther Pittroff, 2014. "Whistle-Blowing Systems and Legitimacy Theory: A Study of the Motivation to Implement Whistle-Blowing Systems in German Organizations," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 124(3), pages 399-412, October.
    2. Harold Hassink & Meinderd Vries & Laury Bollen, 2007. "A Content Analysis of Whistleblowing Policies of Leading European Companies," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 75(1), pages 25-44, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Nadia Smaili & Wim Vandekerckhove & Paulina Arroyo Pardo, 2023. "Handling Whistleblowing Reports: The Complexity of the Double Agent," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 186(2), pages 279-292, August.
    2. Pietro Previtali & Paola Cerchiello, 2022. "Organizational Determinants of Whistleblowing. A Study of Italian Municipalities," Public Organization Review, Springer, vol. 22(4), pages 903-918, December.

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