Is Whistle Blowing Ethical or not Research Paper

Is Whistle Blowing Ethical or not - Research Paper Example The morality comes into question when there is a conflict between the individual’s duty to staying loyal to the firm and the freedom to speak out against what is wrong. The dilemma is severe because of the fact that individuals/employees are legally and morally bound to show their loyalty to their employers as well as ascertain the fact that one does not, directly or indirectly, get involved in any wrongdoing (Beauchamp and Bowie). It has become a common practice to link whistle blowing to loyalty with ones employer, such that several literature surrounds topics such as â€Å"whistle blowing versus organizational loyalty† or â€Å"whistle blowing and loyalty† (Lindblom). In his book, Robert Duska offers an interesting insight- that loyalty to the firm is an impossible event. According to Duska, employees have a contractual obligation to perform their duties responsibly in return for the compensation that they get (Larmer). However, according to him, the concept o f personal responsibility to the company is void and that no loyalty issues should arise when discussing the notion of whistle blowing. According to him, one must engage in whistle blowing only for the collective good of the society (Larmer). The conflict of whistle blowing with loyalty is more intricate than suggested. ... Hence, in this context, loyalty would mean that the individual must show concern towards the potential harm and loss of reputation, goodwill, sales etc. that the organization would suffer as a result of him/her blowing the whistle. However, there is another view by Ronald Duska, which states that organizations should not be recipients of loyalty simply because only â€Å"humans† can be objects of loyalty and not the organization as an entity in itself (Lindblom). Also, according to Bok, whistle blowing almost always pertains to the personal level since it involves unveiling the wrongdoings of someone else. The whistle blower may face tremendous moral and ethical conflict when it comes to the same because of several reasons. One of the reasons is the uncertainty whether or not the act is going to result in the general welfare of the public. Furthermore, the whistle blower is faced with moral dilemma when he/she has to weigh his/her moral responsibility to protect the interests of his co-workers versus his/her responsibility to protect the interests of the public. In any case, the latter is considered more important. A final reason for the dilemma, according to Bok, is the potential threat of loss of job, social circle, reputation, or even violence that could result from blowing the whistle. On the contrary, however, whistle blowers often receive strong support and appreciation from the society since they perform a vital job. The job is indispensable because, if it weren’t for the whistle blower the truth of the moment would lay hidden from the public forever and would result in injustice. Furthermore, Bok has emphasized three main elements that lead to whistle blowing becoming a problem. First