Chapter 13 - Whistleblowing

Question 1

What is whistleblowing?

Answer 1

Releasing of info by a member of the company that is illegal or immoral misconduct that is not in the interest of the public.

Question 2

What 6 points must be met for something to count as whistleblowing?

Answer 2

1. WB can only be done by a member of the organization.
2. There must be info that is non-public.
3. The info is usually evidence of significant misconduct by the organization or member of the organization.
4. Info Must be released outside the normal channels of communication.
5. The release of info must be voluntary, as opposed to being legally required.
6. WB must occur as a form of moral protest.

Question 3

What are 3 reasons as to why whistleblowing is dissaproved?

Answer 3

1. Dissent
2. Breach of Loyalty
3. Accusation

Bok

Question 4

What is breach of loyalty?

Answer 4

1. It is assumed that employees have an obligation to be loyal to their company
2. WB seems to involve a problem concerning conflicting loyalties.
    Loyalty to the employer vs loyalty to the public

Question 5

What are the three points for the loyal agent arguement?

Answer 5

1. Argues that employees are agents of their employer.
2. Employees are supposed to act in the interests and for the benefit of the employer.
3. Therefore, the employee has an obligation to work as directed, protect confidential info, and be loyal

Question 6

What are the 3 problems with the loyal agent arguement?

Answer 6

1. There is no absolute obligation on employees – no obligation to do something illegal or immoral.
2. Employee is under no obligation to keep confidential info that pertains to a crime.
3. Employees are hired for limited purposes.

Question 7

What does Duska argue?

Answer 7

Duska argues that employees have NO obligation of loyalty to a company.

Argues a relationship is b/w a person.

Question 8

What are 2 theories to determine if WB is morally permissable?

Answer 8

1. The Standard Theory

2. The complicity Theory

Question 9

What is the 1st step for standard theory?

Answer 9

(S1) The organization to which the would-be WB belongs will, through its product or policy, do serious and considerable harm to the public.

Question 10

What is the 2nd step for standard theory?

Answer 10

(S2) The would-be WB has identified that the threat of harm, reported it to their immediate superior, making it clear both the threat itself and the objection to it and concluded that the superior will do nothing effective.

Question 11

What is the 3rd step for standard theory?

Answer 11

(S3) The would-be WB has exhausted other internal procedures within the organization (for example, going up the ladder) or at least made use of as many internal procedures as the danger to others and her own safety make reasonable.

If these 3 points are met it is morally permissable

Question 12

What is the 4th step for standard theory?

Answer 12

(S4) The would-be WB has evidence that would convince a reasonable, impartial observer that her view of the threat is correct.

Question 13

What is the 5th step for standard theory?

Answer 13

(S5) The would-be WB has good reason to believe that revealing the threat will (probably) prevent the harm at reasonable cost.

If these are met WB is morally required

Question 14

What are the 3 paradoxes?

Answer 14

1. The Paradox of Burden
2. The paradox of Missing Harm
3. The Paradox of Failure

Question 15

What is the paradox of burden?

Answer 15

 The WB often suffers because of WB.
o Lose their job, friends, sometimes blacklisted, etc.
 The paradox is that the whistleblower is acting morally, yet he is punished for it.

Question 16

What is the paradox of missing harm?

Answer 16

 ST (Standard Theory) states that the WB must seek to prevent “serious and considerable harm” for WB to be morally permissible.
 Defining “harm” can be difficult.
o Physical, psychological, financial.
o Injustice, deception, waste.
 WB seeks to prevent serious and considerable harm, but in some cases, the WB occurs after harm has already occurred.

Question 17

What is the paradox of failure?

Answer 17

 WB wants to prevent harm, but usually, they fail to do so.
 Even after WB, the employer often continues to do what they did before.
 So WB still is not preventing harm.