Reference no: EM132249446 , Length: 3400 Words

Question: Whistleblower Analysis

Ethics and social responsibility of business simply is a moral obligation or duty that a company has to society to run the business in a responsible manner. By developing standards and practices that benefit employees, the community, the economy and the environment, a company will achieve a corporate environment that is respected by society.

Choose a case where a whistleblower has reported an activity that he/she considers to be illegal or dishonest to one or more of the parties involved. Write for that industry. If you are not currently involved in any industry, choose a hypothetical industry. You may use a current whistleblower case in the news, such as the Veterans Administration or the Eric Snowden case.

Address the following in your case analysis:

• Whether or not it was ethical to be the whistleblower.

• The way in which he or she exposed how the information was being used.

• Discuss how he or she should have followed proper protocol (such as that required of a contractor, e.g.).

• Discuss the reasons for leaking the documents to various media resources.

• How does the reporting affect the company that the whistleblower was working for?

• What are the ethical implications of the actions?

• How might you, as a company representative, handle a situation like this?

• What is your view regarding the case you chose?

• Support your stand based on what you have learned in the course.

Discuss and define a whistleblower as defined by the policy of the company/organization you have chosen. Explain who reports an activity that he or she considers illegal or dishonest to one or more of the parties specified.

The whistleblower is not responsible for investigating the activity or for determining fault or corrective measures; appropriate management officials are charged with these responsibilities.

Give some examples of illegal or dishonest activities that are violations of federal, state or local laws.

If an employee has knowledge of or a concern about illegal or dishonest fraudulent activity, the employee is to contact his or her immediate supervisor or the Human Resources Director. Do you agree with this protocol?

The employee must exercise sound judgment to avoid baseless allegations. An employee who intentionally files a false report of wrongdoing will be subject to discipline up to and including termination. Whistleblower protections are provided in two important areas-first, to protect confidentiality and second, to protect against retaliation. Insofar as possible, the confidentiality of the whistleblower will be maintained. However, identity may have to be disclosed to conduct a thorough investigation, to comply with the law and to provide accused individuals their legal rights of defense. The company will not retaliate against a whistleblower.

Reflect on whistleblower protections and answer the questions posed. Organize your paper with clear headings so your reader knows that you are addressing each required question. Your paper should be 10-14 pages long and must cite at least 4 sources.