IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/jbuset/v159y2019i1d10.1007_s10551-017-3727-8.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Whistleblowing as a Protracted Process: A Study of UK Whistleblower Journeys

Author

Listed:
  • Wim Vandekerckhove

    (University of Greenwich)

  • Arron Phillips

    (University of Greenwich)

Abstract

This paper provides an exploration of whistleblowing as a protracted process, using secondary data from 868 cases from a whistleblower advice line in the UK. Previous research on whistleblowing has mainly studied this phenomenon as a one-off decision by someone perceiving wrongdoing within an organisation to raise a concern or to remain silent. Earlier suggestions that whistleblowing is a process and that people find themselves inadvertently turned into whistleblowers by management responses, have not been followed up by a systematic study tracking the path of how a concern is repeatedly raised by whistleblowers. This paper provides a quantitative exploration of whistleblowing as a protracted process, rather than a one-off decision. Our research finds that the whistleblowing process generally entails two or even three internal attempts to raise a concern before an external attempt is made, if it is made at all. We also find that it is necessary to distinguish further between different internal (e.g. line manager, higher management, specialist channels) as well as external whistleblowing recipients (e.g. regulators, professional bodies, journalists). Our findings suggest that whistleblowing is a protracted process and that this process is internally more protracted than previously documented. The overall pattern is that whistleblowers tend to search for a more independent recipient at each successive attempt to raise their concern. Formal whistleblower power seems to determine which of the available recipients are perceived as viable and also what the initial responses are in terms of retaliation and effectiveness.

Suggested Citation

  • Wim Vandekerckhove & Arron Phillips, 2019. "Whistleblowing as a Protracted Process: A Study of UK Whistleblower Journeys," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 159(1), pages 201-219, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:159:y:2019:i:1:d:10.1007_s10551-017-3727-8
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-017-3727-8
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10551-017-3727-8
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10551-017-3727-8?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jason MacGregor & Martin Stuebs, 2014. "The Silent Samaritan Syndrome: Why the Whistle Remains Unblown," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 120(2), pages 149-164, March.
    2. Joanne Jones & Gary Spraakman & Cristóbal Sánchez-Rodríguez, 2014. "What’s in it for Me? An Examination of Accounting Students’ Likelihood to Report Faculty Misconduct," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 123(4), pages 645-667, September.
    3. Heungsik Park & John Blenkinsopp & M. Oktem & Ugur Omurgonulsen, 2008. "Cultural Orientation and Attitudes Toward Different Forms of Whistleblowing: A Comparison of South Korea, Turkey, and the U.K," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 82(4), pages 929-939, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Thomas Olesen, 2022. "The Birth of an Action Repertoire: On the Origins of the Concept of Whistleblowing," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 179(1), pages 13-24, August.
    2. Sarah Brooks & John Richmond & John Blenkinsopp, 2023. "Applying a Lens of Temporality to Better Understand Voice About Unethical Behaviour," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 188(4), pages 681-692, December.
    3. Dina El-Bassiouny & Amr Kotb & Hany Elbardan & Noha El-Bassiouny, 2023. "To Blow or Not to Blow the Whistle? An Islamic Framework," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 187(2), pages 385-404, October.
    4. Muel Kaptein, 2022. "How Much You See Is How You Respond: The Curvilinear Relationship Between the Frequency of Observed Unethical Behavior and The Whistleblowing Intention," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 175(4), pages 857-875, February.
    5. Emilie Hennequin, 2023. "Whistleblowing as a Career Crisis: Recovering from Retaliatory Job Loss through a Process of Bifurcation," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 37(2), pages 545-562, April.
    6. 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.
    7. Luca Andriani & Gaygysyz Ashyrov, 2022. "Corruption and life satisfaction: Evidence from a transition survey," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 75(4), pages 511-535, November.
    8. Laura William & Wim Vandekerckhove, 2023. "Fairly and Justly? Are Employment Tribunals Able to Even Out Whistleblowing Power Imbalances?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 182(2), pages 365-376, January.
    9. Wim Vandekerckhove, 2022. "Is It Freedom? The Coming About of the EU Directive on Whistleblower Protection," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 179(1), pages 1-11, August.
    10. Kate Kenny & Marianna Fotaki, 2023. "The Costs and Labour of Whistleblowing: Bodily Vulnerability and Post-disclosure Survival," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 182(2), pages 341-364, January.
    11. 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.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Verschuuren, Pim, 2020. "Whistleblowing determinants and the effectiveness of reporting channels in the international sports sector," Sport Management Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(1), pages 142-154.
    2. Nadia Smaili & Paulina Arroyo, 2019. "Categorization of Whistleblowers Using the Whistleblowing Triangle," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 157(1), pages 95-117, June.
    3. Hengky Latan & Charbel Jose Chiappetta Jabbour & Ana Beatriz Lopes de Sousa Jabbour, 2021. "To Blow or Not to Blow the Whistle: The Role of Rationalization in the Perceived Seriousness of Threats and Wrongdoing," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 169(3), pages 517-535, March.
    4. Hengky Latan & Charbel Jose Chiappetta Jabbour & Ana Beatriz Lopes de Sousa Jabbour, 2019. "‘Whistleblowing Triangle’: Framework and Empirical Evidence," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 160(1), pages 189-204, November.
    5. Waseem Yousaf & Raheel Jamil, 2020. "Does Moral Intensity Affect the Whistleblowing Intentions?," iRASD Journal of Management, International Research Alliance for Sustainable Development (iRASD), vol. 2(2), pages 84-99, December.
    6. Clarissa Kirschbichler, 2022. "Ethical Leadership And Its Impact On Whistleblowing," Economy & Business Journal, International Scientific Publications, Bulgaria, vol. 16(1), pages 262-272.
    7. Heungsik Park & Wim Vandekerckhove & Jaeil Lee & Joowon Jeong, 2020. "Laddered Motivations of External Whistleblowers: The Truth About Attributes, Consequences, and Values," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 165(4), pages 565-578, September.
    8. Hengky Latan & Charbel Jose Chiappetta Jabbour & Ana Beatriz Lopes de Sousa Jabbour, 2019. "Ethical Awareness, Ethical Judgment and Whistleblowing: A Moderated Mediation Analysis," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 155(1), pages 289-304, March.
    9. Wim Vandekerckhove & David Lewis, 2012. "The Content of Whistleblowing Procedures: A Critical Review of Recent Official Guidelines," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 108(2), pages 253-264, June.
    10. Kate Kenny & Marianna Fotaki, 2023. "The Costs and Labour of Whistleblowing: Bodily Vulnerability and Post-disclosure Survival," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 182(2), pages 341-364, January.
    11. Johannes Brinkmann, 2019. "The Potential Use of Sociological Perspectives for Business Ethics Teaching," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 156(1), pages 273-287, April.
    12. Sheng-min Liu & Jian-qiao Liao & Hongguo Wei, 2015. "Authentic Leadership and Whistleblowing: Mediating Roles of Psychological Safety and Personal Identification," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 131(1), pages 107-119, September.
    13. Saera R. Khan & Lauren C. Howe, 2021. "Concern for the Transgressor’s Consequences: An Explanation for Why Wrongdoing Remains Unreported," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 173(2), pages 325-344, October.
    14. Heungsik Park & John Blenkinsopp & Myeongsil Park, 2014. "The Influence of an Observer’s Value Orientation and Personality Type on Attitudes Toward Whistleblowing," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 120(1), pages 121-129, March.
    15. Gladys Lee & Esther Pittroff & Michael J. Turner, 2020. "Is a Uniform Approach to Whistle-Blowing Regulation Effective? Evidence from the United States and Germany," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 163(3), pages 553-576, May.
    16. Hengky Latan & Christian M. Ringle & Charbel Jose Chiappetta Jabbour, 2018. "Whistleblowing Intentions Among Public Accountants in Indonesia: Testing for the Moderation Effects," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 152(2), pages 573-588, October.
    17. Sebastian Oelrich, 2019. "Making regulation fit by taking irrationality into account: the case of the whistleblower," Business Research, Springer;German Academic Association for Business Research, vol. 12(1), pages 175-207, April.
    18. Baskentli, Sara & Hadi, Rhonda & Lee, Leonard, 2023. "How culture shapes consumer responses to anthropomorphic products," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 40(3), pages 495-512.
    19. Nadzri Ab Ghani & Jeremy Galbreath & Robert Evans, 2012. "Predicting Whistle-Blowing Intention Among Supervisors In Malaysia," Journal of Global Management, Global Research Agency, vol. 3(1), pages 1-18, January.
    20. Dilek Nayir & Christian Herzig, 2012. "Value Orientations as Determinants of Preference for External and Anonymous Whistleblowing," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 107(2), pages 197-213, May.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:159:y:2019:i:1:d:10.1007_s10551-017-3727-8. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.