PAF 460 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Whistleblower
Document Summary
Acting on duty in the face of uncertainty and risk: Whistleblowing can be a heroic action that serves the public interest or an act of disloyalty that hurts the organization. When a staff member becomes aware of a problem, it may be taken to someone internaly or to someone outside the organization: technically only the latter is whistleblowing. Still, in common definitions ignore the difference, and internal complaints are commonly referred to as whistleblowing. Thus, whistleblowing may include activities such as: reporting wrongdoing to authorities, refusing to participate in activities that involve wrongdoing, providing testimony in legal proceeding, leaking information to the media. It is useful to keep in mind the distinction between making an internal complaint and revealing a problem outside the organization because the consequences including eligibility for protection can be different.
