Whistle Blowing

Paper Summary:

Whistle blowing is informing on illegal or unethical practices in the workplace. It is becoming more and more common, but is whistle blowing worth it to an individual? Standards of business ethics are changing rapidly in response to whistle blowers who capture a public audience. This paper analyzes the similarities and differences in regard to the justification of whistle blowing. The findings support that most whistle blowers suffer in many ways, and the negative consequences to the whistle blower far out way the positive. The legal avenues the whistle blower utilizes are becoming far more common as laws are changing to protect them. Lastly, this paper explores the writer's opinion on ethics, whistle blowing, laws, and consequences.

Outline
1. What is Whistle Blowing?
i. Definition
ii. Examples
2. Illustration-Case Study of Enron
i. History of Enron
ii. Key Personnel
iii. Whistle Blowers
3. Consequences of Whistle Blowing
i. Positive Aspects of Whistle Blowing
ii. Negative Aspects of Whistle Blowing
4. Justification for Whistle Blowing
i. Religious
ii. Moral
iii. Legal
iv. Revenge
5. Results of Whistle blowing
i. Loss of Job
ii. Retaliation/Discrimination
iii. Poor Health
iv. Family & Friends
6. Personal Viewpoint
i. It is not worth it
ii. Lessons from the Past
7. Laws in Place for Whistle Blowers
i. Federal Sentencing Guidelines
ii. Organizational Direction
8. Summary
i. Real Life Example
ii. Opinion

From the Paper:

"Based in Houston Texas, Enron was formed in July 1985 by a merger of Houston Natural Gas and InterNorth of Omaha, Nebraska. Enron was initially a natural gas pipeline company but rapidly evolved from delivering energy to brokering entry futures as energy markets were deregulated. Enron Corporation was one of the world's largest energy commodities before the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filed. Enron marketed electricity and natural gas, delivered energy and other physical commodities, and provided financial and risk management services to customers worldwide. Enron, through a variety of accounting tricks relating to partnerships, inflated their profits and lowered debt. They misled their employees, investors, and the general public about the financial stability of the company. As reported by Enron 101, "Enron executives reaped millions through these partnerships and by selling off stocks before the demise, while Enron employees lost much of their retirement and investors lost millions" (Enron 101)."

More papers on Whistle Blowing:

• Analytical Essay # 130852 : "Whistle Blowing: Right or Wrong?"
• Essay # 67577 : "Whistle-blowing"
• Analytical Essay # 141868 : "Whistle Blowing: Ethical Conduct in an Unethical World"

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