Whistleblowing: Right or Wrong?

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses some of the ethical issues related to the popular concept of whistleblowing. Whistleblowing in this context means that an employee reports company misconduct or illegalities, which would otherwise be unknown, outside of company circles, to the public or to a government entity. The paper examines how it is among the most frequently seen and controversial issues in business today and how regardless of the industry or job one is involved in, one has a chance of encountering a situation in which whistleblowing may present itself as an option.

Outline:
Significant Impact
Low / Minimal Impact
Conclusion: Blow the Whistle or Remain Silent?

From the Paper:

"Another famous whistleblowing case study is that of Dr. Jeffrey Wigand. Dr. Wigand was a former head of research at tobacco company Brown & Williamson. In 1996, he revealed to the media that his company had added chemicals such as ammonia to its cigarettes to increase their delivery of the addictive drug nicotine. He faced lawsuits and even death threats, but persisted in his revelations via a national television interview ("Caslon Analytics whistle-blowing cases"). Dr. Wigand's story is perhaps best known to the general public in the form of the film based on it, The Insider. The impact of this particular case of whistleblowing upon society is unimaginable, given the large numbers of people use smoke cigarettes and the already well known health dangers associated with the practice. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• "Caslon Analytics whistle-blowing cases." October 2006. www.caslon.com.au/whistlecasesnote.htm.
• "Enron on Trial." CNN / Money.com. October 2006. http://money.cnn.com/news/specials/enron.
• "National Whistleblower Center." November 2006. http://www.whistleblowers.org.
• Rorty, Amelie Oksenberg, ed. Essays on Aristotle's Ethics. Berkeley: U of California Press 1981.
• "Whistleblower." Wikipedia, a free encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. October 2006. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whistleblower.

More papers on Whistleblowing: Right or Wrong?:

• Analytical Essay # 130852 : "Whistle Blowing: Right or Wrong?"
• Essay # 34825 : "Right vs. Wrong"
• Argumentative Essay # 139404 : "Racial Profiling: Is it Right or Wrong?"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: