Case Study Whistleblowing

The culture of this agency is fundamentally broken and corrupt. Abject wastefulness, nepotism, and dishonesty run rampant within this organization. Both ethical and legal codes of public service are systematically ignored. Moreover, upper management is at best apathetic to the destructive aspects of the organizational culture. Jenny, a new employee is shocked and appalled by both a lack of ethical standards and accountability within the agency. She finds the content of her work fulfilling but is currently undergoing a conflict of conscience over what she has experienced. It is self-evident that Jenny should not participate in the unethical and illegal behaviour. However, her options are limited. Both practical and ethical concerns must be …show more content…
The first option is to use her voice, and report the information to a higher official. While this is the most ethical of the three options, it could lead to repercussions against her. While, it is illegal to officially punish whistleblowing there are means to subvert that rule. For example, Jenny very well could become a pariah within the organization which will lead to social exclusion and stunted advancement. Based upon the response of her manager, Jenny will have no allies in this endeavour. As a relatively new employee, Jenny’s limited influence within the organization will be further diminished. Furthermore, her relative inexperience may cause decision-makers within the agency to dismiss her concerns without proper investigation. This is especially true considering the fact that her evidence only appears to be anecdotal. Therefore, her career will suffer and effective organizational change is unlikely. The second option involves resigning her position and exiting the organization. While, this option will allow her to speak freely without consequence, it is definitely economically unfeasible. Furthermore, she loses her influence within the organization completely and the corruption is guaranteed to continue. The traditional voice vs. exit conflict as described in public administration literature ignores another option. While utilizing voice or exit may be ethical, it is unlikely to lead to any real fundamental change, and could only serve to stunt her career. The third option involves not pressing the issue and continuing on with her job. This is by far the most pragmatic option. It is not the most ethical, as she is not directly reporting the misbehaviour. However, it does not have to represent a complete capitulation to the corrupt practises. Jenny, very well could work within the current system to subvert the corruption. As she acquires more experience within the organization and