Whistle-Blowing
The question of the responsibility and/or ethical duty of an employee to blow the whistle on an employer have been the subject of much discussion. Some would argue that there is an ethical duty to respond and 'blow the whistle' when an employee becomes aware of apparent unlawful behavior on the part of his or her employer. One definition of whistle blowing as posited by Dandekar, 1991 is the motivation or desire to prevent unnecessary harm to others. Garde (1992) identified characteristics of whistle blowers, determined in scholarly research to be altruistically motivated and intend for their actions to benefit those that have been wronged; are utilitarian; possessing an increased level of moral development and are driven by a sense of social responsibility and integrity. This definition and the characteristics that follow seem to be in line with the utilitarianism that "requires a decision maker to maximize utility for society as a whole" (Ashford, 96).
If an employee subscribes to the tenants of utilitarianism and possesses the characteristics that posit increased altruistic motivation, then the answer to whether there is an ethical responsibility to report is yes. However, one study showed that organizational wrongdoing was reported by less than 1/3 of the Federal employees who witnessed it (U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board, 1984). These statistics suggest that even though people bear witness to wrongdoing the probability or likelihood to report...
There is an increasing recognition of this not only among investigators and regulators, but also among businesses and employees alike. Clearly, the general attitude of employers and employees towards whistle blowing is changing with time. Generally, this is the result of consequences generated by corporate wrongdoing, and also by the increase of importance attached to ethical business practices. Corporate responsibility in terms of both society and the environment has seen
However the problem occurs when the person purchasing at the shampoo at supermarket becomes a reseller and offers it with a small discount to the elite buyer. This kind of price discrimination is common but it can become illegal if it violates the pricing laws of the country in which discrimination occurred (Ferrell et al. p. 288). It is also illegal if segmentation is not possible in the market
For example, Cannon USA, and the entire Cannon Corporation worldwide was already known for its commitment to corporate social responsibility and to environmentally friendly policies and practices long before environmentalism global responsibility became high-profile social values in the United States. Those very general ethical concerns far exceeded any legal requirements and lie wholly outside the scope of the organization's actual business and manifested an independent corporate culture valued by
Alma Joseph's case study, "The Dilemma Public Service Department" Public Performance & Management Review, Vol. 24, No. 3, March 2001, pp. 285-287-Attached pdf This case study analysis paper approximately 3 full pages (double-spaced, 1" margins, 12 pt font), address issues: In terms administrative responsibilities, mind case: honesty, malfeasance, misfeasance, nonfeasance, accountability, competence, . Honesty is certainly one of the primary concepts that come to mind when considering Alex and
WorldCom: The Ethics of Whistle-Blowing In recent years, it has not been easy for employees to completely trust the corporations for which they work. Accounting scandals have made the average employee question business practices unlike before. The large corporate American framework built in culture; vision, core values, accountability and self-worth seem to have gone out the window with a certain degree of worry. Is it risky to work for a big
Accountants Responsibility Introduction to Accountant Responsibility Essentially, accountants have a responsibility a number of parties, with the major parties in this case being the government, clients and third parties. In today's capitalist society, the accounting profession is deemed to be a common and important feature. Discussing the responsibilities accountants have to the three parties identified above would, therefore, certainly be a prudent and logical move. Responsibility to Clients To begin with, accountants have a
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