Whistle‐blowing in the digital era: motives, issues and recommendations

Abstract

With the ever‐increasing popularity of social media, whistle‐blowing, which generally refers to the disclosure of organisational wrongdoing, has entered a new era. Whistle‐blowing via virtual platforms has transformed not just the channel of disclosure, but also the associated motives, processes and outcomes. The impact on the whistle‐blower, the organisation and the public can often be accelerated and is seen as being more significant than traditional whistle‐blowing through internal means or external dedicated authorities or journalists. Yet systematic research on this changing phenomenon is just emerging, and regulation (e.g. for rewards, safeguards or protection) is lagging behind. In this paper, we specifically examine the impetus, as well as the benefits and drawbacks, of using online channels such as social media, blogging or websites, for whistle‐blowing by both employees and non‐employees, taking into consideration recent case law and development. A number of recommendations are proposed for virtual whistle‐blowers, organisations and governments.

Social Media as a Form of Virtual Whistleblowing: Empirical Evidence for Elements of the Diamond Model

“…Respondents were asked questions such as “how likely are you to engage in blowing the whistle because of being in a good position to speak out” and so on. Finally, to measure online whistleblowing intention (OWB), measurement items based on studies from Lam and Harcourt ( 2019 ) were developed. This construct relates to the use of an online platform to act when observing wrongdoing, with a total of 5 items.…”

“…In addition, information technology also plays an important role in online whistleblowing intention. As Lam and Harcourt ( 2019 ) argue, the use of online channels for whistleblowing makes it possible to share information widely through messages, photographs and videos, with speed and anonymity. In addition, support from social media or website providers, technology (hardware and software) and the general public provide further opportunities for online whistleblowing.…”

“…Whistleblowers play a vital role in revealing wrongdoing in contemporary organizations (Andrade 2015 ; Mason and Simmons 2018 ; Miceli and Near 2002 ; Loyens and Maesschalck 2014 ), which are considerably more complex and influenced by digital technologies; and context has unleashed a shift in how these wrongdoings tend to be exposed (Bosua et al 2014 ; Lam and Harcourt 2019 ; Munro 2017 ). As Vandekerckhove et al ( 2014a ) outline, the use of online channels or social media can be considered a contemporary approach to exposing wrongdoing.…”

“…As Vandekerckhove et al ( 2014a ) outline, the use of online channels or social media can be considered a contemporary approach to exposing wrongdoing. This paper refers to the use of such methods as ‘virtual’ or ‘online’ whistleblowing (Cherry 2012 ; Lam and Harcourt 2019 ). Previous studies have linked whistleblowers’ use of both internal channels, which involve reporting within the organization, for example to a supervisor, and external channels, which involve reporting outside the organization, for example to a news or government agency (Alleyne et al 2018 ; Latan et al 2018 ; Lee and Fargher 2018 ; Park and Blenkinsopp 2009 ; Robertson et al 2011 ; Skivenes and Trygstad 2010 ).…”

“…This study both broadens and deepens our understanding of the field of whistleblowing, providing original evidence in three important ways. First, it responds to research suggestions from experts in the field—e.g., Vandekerckhove et al ( 2014a ) and Lam and Harcourt ( 2019 ) —and provides empirical evidence concerning the virtual whistleblowing model as a contemporary approach to uncovering wrongdoing. This is thought to be the first empirical study to consider online channels in relation to whistleblowing intention.…”