IN THE MEDIA: Whistleblowing

For many people, the word “whistleblowing” – a term much bandied about in the United States of late – conjures up feelings of betrayal. But blowing whistles plays a central role in subjugating institutional misconduct. How can one deal with it wisely?

According to political scientists and lawyers, there’s no doubt: Whistleblowing is a pain in the ass for some politicians and business leaders – but that’s exactly why this last-resort check and balance is so useful for keeping corruption from running amok. Both legislators and companies are well-advised to open channels that anxious employees, who have encountered suspicious goings-on, can use to report concerns.

If you’re grappling with whistleblowing, here are four reads from our library to help you:

Do you want to understand what whistleblowing is – and how it not only changes the state of your administration or corporation but also the state of the world? Take your time to watch Kelly Richmond Pope’s TED-Talk on How Whistle-Blowers Shape History or Julian Assange’s TED-classic Why the World Needs WikiLeaks – we also have abstracts of both (Richmond Pope / Assange).

Are you an employee of a company, and you’ve noticed irregularities, but you don’t know how to report corporate crimes while protecting yourself in the process? Go with Tom Devines and Tarek F. Maassaranis Award-winning The Corporate Whistleblower’s Survival Guide.

Are you a corporate executive, and you want reporters and the public to respect your firm for its honesty? Our compliance channel has got your back. And if you’re going to make whistleblowing irrelevant at your company because transparency is your watchword Seven Lessons for Leading in Crisis by Bill George is the book for you.

Or are you responsible for discussing your firm’s SOA compliance efforts with attorneys, auditors, and peers? Despite its dry and academic tone, we suggest taking a look at Guy P. Lander’s What Is Sarbanes-Oxley? as it deals with the numerous, varied requirements of the U.S. Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOA), which has protected corporate whistleblowers since 2002.