Question

How do you feel about whistle-blowing now that you have read about it? Are you now more sympathetic or less sympathetic to whistle-blowers? Explain. As a manager, what other steps can the management take to be responsive to potential whistle-blowing situations?

Answer 1

A whistleblower is a person who exposes any kind of information or activity that is deemed illegal, unethical, or not correct within an organization that is either private or public.

Whistleblowing concerns usually relate to the conduct of managers or staff, but they may sometimes relate to the actions of a third party, such as a customer, supplier or service provider.

It does take a lot of guts and determination to expose someone or something, which also is risky, I feel. Hence I'm more sympathetic to them.

The management should protect whistle blowers by below possible steps:

1. Document everything. Document all of the information you have gathered and store it in a safe place.
2. Be reliable and credible. Make yourself a reliable and credible source.
3. Raise the issue.
4. Be careful who you disclose to.
5. Keep a confidential line of communication with them to a large extent.