Abstract
Previous studies investigating reports of corporate or individual wrongdoing have failed to examine the effects of an organization's structure upon the decision to blow the whistle. This paper suggests that an organization's structure may perform a significant role in the decision to report versus not report an observed wrongdoing. Five organizational structures (that is, centralized, matrix, horizontal, hybrid, and divisional) were examined in regards to their effectiveness in encouraging or discouraging observers of unethical conduct channels for reporting such behavior. Discussion and implications are provided.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Andrews, P. H. and R. T. Herschel: 1996, Organizational Communication: Empowerment in a Technological Society (Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts).
Barnett, T.: 1992, 'A Preliminary Investigation of the Relationship Between Selected Organizational Characteristics and External Whistleblowing by Employees' Journal Of Business Ethics 11, 949–959.
Barnett, T., D. S. Cochran and G. S. Taylor: 1993, 'The Internal Disclosure Policies of Private-Sector Employers: An Internal Look at Their Relationship to Employee Whistleblowing' Journal of Business Ethics 12, 127–136.
Bok, S.: 1995, 'Whistleblowing And Leaks' in S. Corman, S. P. Banks, C. R. Bantz and M. E. Mayer (eds.), Foundations of Organizational Communication: A Reader (Longman Publishers, White Plains), pp. 258–271.
Burns, L. R.: 1989, 'Matrix Management in Hospitals: Testing Theories of Matrix Structure and Development' Administrative Science Quarterly 34, 349–368.
Daft, R. L.: 1989, Organizational Theory and Design, 3rd ed. (West Publishing Co., St. Paul).
Daft, R. L.: 1995, Organizational Theory and Design, 5th ed. (West Publishing Co., St. Paul).
Daft, R. L.: 1998, Organizational Theory and Design, 6th ed. (South-Western College Publishing, Cincinnati).
Dalton, D. R., W. D. Tudor, M. J. Spendolini, G. J. Fielding and L. W. Porter: 1980, 'Organizational Structure and Performance: A Critical Review' Academy of Management Review 5, 49–64.
Daniels, T. D., B. K. Spiker and M. J. Papa: 1997, (Brown and Benchmark, Madison).
Elliston, F., J. Keenan, P. Lockhart and J. van Schaick: 1985, Whistleblowing Research: Methodological and Moral Issues (Praeger, New York).
Farrell, D. and J. C. Petersen: 1982, 'Patterns of Political Behavior in Organizations' Academy of Management Review 7, 402–412.
Ferguson, L. J. and J. P. Near: 1989, Whistleblowing in The Lab, unpublished manuscript, Indiana University, Bloomington.
Ford, R. C. and W. A. Randolph: 1992, 'Cross-Functional Structures: A Review and Integration of Matrix Organization and Project Management' Journal of Management 18, 267–294.
Griffin, R. W. and G. Moorhead: 1986, Organizational Behavior (Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts).
Griffin, R. W.: 1996, Management (Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts).
King, G.: 1994, An Interpersonal Analysis of Whistleblowing, unpublished doctoral dissertation, Indiana University, Bloomington.
Larson, E. W. and D. H. Gobeli: 1987, 'Matrix Management: Contradictions and Insights' California Management Review 29, 126–138.
Lentz, S. S.: 1996, 'Hybrid Organization Structures: A Path to Cost Savings and Customer Responsiveness' Human Resource Management 35, 453–469.
Miceli, M. P. and J. P. Near: 1994, 'Whistleblowing: Reaping the Benefits' Academy of Management Review 8, 65–72.
Miceli, M. P. and J. P. Near: 1992, Blowing the Whistle: The Organizational & Legal Implications for Companies and Employees (Lexington Book, New York).
Miceli, M. P., J. P. Near and C. R. Schwenk: 1991, 'Who Blows the Whistle and Why?' Industrial and Labor Relations Review 45, 113–130.
Miceli, M. P. and J. P. Near: 1984, 'The Relationship Among Beliefs, Organizational Position, and Whistleblowing Status: A Discriminant Analysis' Academy of Management Journal 27, 687–705.
Mintzberg, H.: 1981, 'Organization Design: Fashion or Fit?' Harvard Business Review 59, 103–116.
Near, J. P. and M. P. Miceli: 1985, 'Organizational Dissidence: The Case of Whistleblowing' Journal Of Business Ethics 4, 1–16.
O'Hair, D., G. W. Friedrich and L. D. Shaver: 1995, Strategic Communication in Business and the Professions (Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts).
Organ, D. W. and T. Bateman: 1986, Organizational Behavior (Business Publication Inc., Plano, Texas).
Stewart, L. P.: 1990, 'Whistleblowing: Implications for Organizational Communication' in S. D. Ferguson and S. Ferguson (eds.), Organizational Communication (Transaction Publishers, New Brunswick), pp. 303–316.
Tosi, H. L., J. R. Rizzo and S. J. Carroll: 1994, Managing Organizational Behavior (Blackwell Publishers, Cambridge).
Westin, A. F.: 1981, Whistleblowing! Loyalty And Dissent in the Corporation (McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
King, G. The Implications of an Organization's Structure on Whistleblowing. Journal of Business Ethics 20, 315–326 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006028417000
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006028417000