Blowing the Whistle | What factors can make a whistleblower lose legitimacy in the eyes of viewers?

What factors can make a whistleblower lose legitimacy in the eyes of viewers?

If there is evidence that the employee is motivated by the opportunity for financial gain or media attention, or that the employee is carrying out an individual vendetta against the company, then the legitimacy of the employee's whistle-blowing must be questioned.

Source: Ghillyer_Business Ethics A Real World Approach 2e

Blowing the Whistle | Discuss both positive and the negative views of whistleblowers in the media

Discuss both positive and the negative views of whistleblowers in the media. 

How do you view whistleblowers?

One could argue that whistleblowers provide an invaluable service to their organizations and to the general public. The discovery of illegal activities before the situation is revealed to the media could potentially save organizations millions of dollars in fines and lost revenue from the inevitable damage to their corporate reputation. However, in contrast to the general perception that whistleblowers are brave men and women putting their careers and personal lives at in order to "do the right thing," some feel that whistleblowers are motivated by money or personal egos. 

Student responses will vary on the second part of the question. 



Source: Ghillyer_Business Ethics A Real World Approach 2e

Blowing the Whistle | Differentiate between internal and external whistleblowers

Differentiate between internal and external whistleblowers.

Internal whistleblowers are employees who discover misconduct in the workplace and communicate this to their supervisor, who then follows established procedures to address the misconduct within the organization. 

External whistleblowers are employees who discover corporate misconduct and choose to bring it to the attention of external parties, such as law enforcement agencies or the media.


Source: Ghillyer_Business Ethics A Real World Approach 2e

Blowing the Whistle | Under what condition could whistle-blowing be considered unethical?

Under what condition could whistle-blowing be considered unethical?

Whistle-blowing can be considered unethical if the employee is motivated by financial gain or media attention, or if they carry a vendetta against the company.  In this case the legitimacy of their whistle-blowing must be questioned.  



Source: Ghillyer_Business Ethics A Real World Approach 2e