Whistle-Blowing ➢ Definition: An em

Whistle-Blowing
➢ Definition: An employee’s informing the public about the illegal or immoral behavior of an employer or an organization.

Whistle-Blowing
➢ One expert’s definition: A practice in which employees inform the public or a governmental agency about certain organization activities that:
➢ (a) Cause unnecessary harm.
➢ (b) Are in violation of human rights.
➢ (c) Are illegal.
➢ (d) Run counter to the defined purpose of the institution.
➢ (e) Are otherwise immoral.

Whistle-Blowing
➢ What motivates whistle-blowers?: They believe that the public interest morally outweighs their loyalty to colleagues and their duties to the organization.
➢ Often, whistle-blowers are motivated by a sense of professional responsibility.

Whistle-Blowing
➢ When is it justified? Norman Bowie says it is morally justified if and only if the whistle-blower:
(a) Is operating from an appropriate moral motive.
(b) Has exhausted all internal channels for dissent before going public, is possible.
(c) Has found compelling evidence of wrongdoing.
(d) Has carefully analyzed the dangers.
(e) Has some chance of success.