Whistleblowers The Dark Side Presented by Sue Kralik September 22, 2015.
-
Upload
eustace-powell -
Category
Documents
-
view
218 -
download
1
Transcript of Whistleblowers The Dark Side Presented by Sue Kralik September 22, 2015.
Whistleblowers
The Dark Side
Presented by Sue KralikSeptember 22, 2015
Outline of this presentation
What is a whistleblower?What are the common consequences of being a
whistleblower?Why do organizations see whistleblowers as a
threat?Why do it?Is it worth it?Could you be a whistleblower?
Whistleblowers: Broken Lives and Organizational Power
Dr. Fred Alford relates whistleblowers accounts gained by:attending a support group for whistleblowers for a yearattending a retreat for stressed-out whistleblowersinterviewing about two dozen whistleblowersvisiting whistleblowers websites/talking to them & meeting
someadvertising interest on popular websitereading accounts on websites.
Whistleblowers: Opposing Viewpoints
Edited by Noah BerlatskyProvides opposing viewpoints on key
whistleblowing experiencesFor example, Ch. 1 includes articles under the
title ‘What Motivates Whistleblowers?’
A Whistleblower Is……….
one who1)acts to prevent harm to others, not him or
herself2)trying first to rectify the situation within the
framework provided by the organization3)while possessing evidence that would
convince a reasonable person.
The harm may be………….
physical, such as the illegal disposal of toxic waste
financial, such as the waste or misuse of taxpayers’ money
legal, the breaking of laws
Theory vs. Practice
In theory, anyone who speaks out in the name of the public good within the organization is a whistleblower.
In practice, the whistleblower is defined by the retaliation he or she receives.
What are the consequences of
being a whistleblower?
1.You Can Lose your job.
Some statistics
According to several studiessomewhere between half to two-thirds of whistleblowers lose their jobs
Some studies reveal that……….
Seniority and rank offer little protection.On the contrary, many organizations seem most threatened by what they view as defection within the senior ranks and are hence more willing to make an example of the defector.
Whistleblowers rarely get their jobs back.
Most never work in the field again.In some tight-knit fields there is an informal blacklist.One whistleblower was fired from her new job when she sued a previous employer for wrongful dismissal.
2. You can lose your home and your family.
3. Most will suffer from depression, various illnesses and alcoholism.
4. Half will go bankrupt.
●Whistleblower reports problem to the boss
●A short time later, he/she is relocated in an isolated, much smaller office
●Can be transferred to a position for which he/she is not qualified
●A series of bad efficiency reports follows●A psychological assessment is conducted●Dismissal
Steps to firing
This is a story of isolation.
The story of Molly and Tom Higgins
They hold the power of pre-emptive strikes!
Why Wrongdoers often successfully survive
●The whistleblower is perceived as a threat even if the report is internal.
●He/she is perceived as an individual, one who thinks for him/herself.
Why Whistleblowers are seen as a threat to the organization
Why do it?
Is it Worth It?
If I had to do it over again, I wouldn’t blow the whistle for a million dollars. It ruined my
life. My neighbour kept talking about all these stories he’d read about “the little man
who stood up against the big corporation and won.’ Well, I stood up against the big
corporation and I lost……….”
John Brown’s assessment
1984
1984 and the Whistleblower
Before his arrest, Winston Smith’s job was to alter the historical record to make it appear that dissidents had never been born.In a democratic society, the sacrificed individual remains.
Questions for Discussion1. Fred Alford writes: “For the whistleblower to be loyal to
his/her story, he or she would have to know and accept some terrible truths about the world, above all that his sacrifice will not be redeemed. No one will be saved by his suffering, not even himself. The organization he worked for will not be made better, and those who worked with him will not have become more moral by virtue of his example.” Is this a fair comment?
2. Could you be a whistleblower? If yes, under what circumstances? If no, what would stop you?