Whistleblowing at Work

by Miethe, Terance D.

• ISBN13: 9780813335490
• ISBN10: 0813335493
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1999-01-01
• Publisher: Westview Pr

Summary

Reactions to misconduct in the workplace are wide and varied. Some people feel no major compulsion to speak out and their organizations seem content with this inaction. Other employees become strongly committed to disclosing the abuse to authorities outside the organization and take whatever steps are necessary even in the face of severe and swift organizational retaliation. What individual, organizational, and situational factors account for these differences? And how can employees in a variety of work settings best respond to organizational misconduct without getting burned?Using data from personal interviews and surveys of employees in various work settings, this book examines whistleblowingthe reporting by employees and former employees of illegal, unethical, and otherwise inappropriate conduct to someone who has the power to take corrective actionand its individual and organizational consequences. Early chapters define whistleblowing, identifying its major forms, and describing the problems with studying whistleblowers. The book then turns to the social and psychological attributes of whistleblowers, the situational factors, and the organizational characteristics that increase or decrease the likelihood of its occurrence. Subsequent chapters examine the individual and organizational consequences of whistleblowing, the legal rights and safeguards for whistleblowers, and particular case histories. The book concludes with a summary of strategic choices and practical advice for persons who are considering whether and how to report organizational misconduct.

Author Biography

Terance D. Miethe is professor of criminal justice at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas.

Table of Contents

List of Tables and Figures	viii
List of Acronyms	ix
Preface and Acknowledgments	xi
Introduction	1	(10)
What Is Whistleblowing and How Do We Study It?	11	(10)
Definitional Issues	11	(6)
How to Identify and Study Whistleblowers	17	(2)
Data Sources for the Current Research	19	(2)
Snitching, Changing Work Organizations, and Whistleblowing	21	(18)
The Origins of Negative Attitudes Toward Snitching	21	(3)
Modern Work Organizations and the Need for Whistleblowers	24	(3)
Changes in Organizational and Occupational Deviance	27	(3)
The Extent of Organizational and Occupational Deviance	30	(1)
Why Whistleblowing Is Needed to Control Organizational Misconduct	31	(3)
Alternative Mechanisms for Controlling Misconduct at Work	34	(2)
Summary	36	(3)
The Prevalence and the Profile of Whistleblowers	39	(30)
The Prevalence of Whistleblowing	39	(4)
The Social and Psychological Profile of Whistleblowers	43	(11)
Situational Factors	54	(7)
Organizational Factors	61	(6)
Summary	67	(2)
Individual and Organizational Consequences of Whistleblowing	69	(22)
The Personal Benefits	69	(4)
The Personal Costs	73	(6)
Personal and Situational Correlates of Retaliation	79	(4)
The Collective Benefits of Whistleblowing	83	(3)
The Collective Costs of Whistleblowing	86	(3)
Summary	89	(2)
The Legal Protection of Whistleblowers	91	(58)
Factors Influencing Legal Protection	92	(2)
Types of Legal Protection	94	(39)
The False Claims Act and Qui Tam Lawsuits	133	(4)
Strengths and Weaknesses of Legal Remedies for Whistleblowers	137	(4)
Effectiveness of Legal Remedies for Whistleblowing	141	(6)
Summary	147	(2)
Case Histories of Six Whistleblowers	149	(60)
Mike Quint and the Los Angeles Subway Tunnels	149	(15)
Trudi Lytle and the Clark County Public School System	164	(9)
Toxic Waste Disposal in Area 51	173	(13)
Norm Buske and the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard	186	(6)
Mark O'Neal and the Nation's Nuclear Bomb Factory	192	(5)
Dr. Jeffrey Wigand and the Tobacco Industry	197	(10)
Summary	207	(2)
Strategic Choices and Practical Advice	209	(26)
What Misconduct to Report	210	(4)
How to Report Misconduct	214	(10)
Legal Remedies for Retaliatory Action	224	(3)
The Aftermath of Whistleblowing	227	(2)
A Checklist of Questions for Potential Whistleblowers	229	(4)
Conclusion	233	(2)
Appendix: Support Organizations and Resources for Whistleblowers	235	(2)
Cited Studies and General References	237	(8)
Index	245