Whistleblowing at work

Whistleblowing, involving the reporting of illegal, unethical or illegitimate practices at work, lies at the core of how individuals, groups, organizations and national contexts interplay in eliminating wrongdoing at work and building sustainable workplaces. Indeed, whistleblowing is of global importance due to its potential to stop corruption and, in turn, influence the trust in democratic institutions which preserve democratic rights. Despite the significance of the whistleblowing act, whistleblowers are known to suffer grievous consequences, raising concerns about the ethics associated with interventions designed to protect and support them. While the extant research on whistleblowing has led to the development of various models to capture the phenomenon, attention to issues such as context, precarity, digitalization and sustainability is called for. Importantly, there is a need for research endeavours to capture the voices of actual whistleblowers rather than focusing on the intention to blow the whistle.