An exploratory empirical study of whistleblowing and whistleblowers

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 755-770
Author(s):  
Maria Krambia-Kapardis

Purpose The purpose of this study is to develop a profile of whistleblowers and to determine whether whistleblowing legislation would encourage those individuals to bring to light some illegal or unethical behaviour that otherwise would remain in the shadows. Design/methodology/approach Having identified whistleblowing correlation, a survey was carried out in Cyprus of actual whistleblowers and could-have-been whistleblowers. Findings Males between 46 and55 years of age, regardless of whether they have dependents or hold senior positions in organizations are significantly more likely to blow the whistle. However, could-have-been whistleblowers did not go ahead because they felt that the authorities would not act on their information. Research limitations/implications Because of the sensitive nature of the research topic and the fact that only whistleblowers or intended whistleblowers could participate in the study, the sample size is limited as a result. This, in turn, limits both the number of respondents in each category (actual and intended) as well as constrains the statistical analysis that could be carried out on the data. Practical implications It remains to be seen whether EU Member States shall implement the European Directive 2019/1937 on the protection of persons who report breaches of Union Law, in its entirety by the due date, namely December 2021. Originality/value This study provides a literature review of whistleblowing and reports an original survey against the backdrop of the European Directive.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wafa Boulagouas ◽  
Rachid Chaib ◽  
Mebarek Djebabra

PurposeImprovements to health and safety at work constantly involve organizational changes (OCs). However, the OC initiatives often fail at achieving their intended goals despite efforts to draw knowledge from various disciplines, such as sociology, psychology and information sciences, to guide the change implementation. This paper proposes a temporality approach to manage the resistance during an OC project based on the capitalization of the actors' behaviors (i.e. alignment/resistance) for successful OC implementation.Design/methodology/approachEmployees in an industrial company (N = 186) undergoing an OC answered a questionnaire survey. The statistical analysis approach was used to measure the influence of the constructs of the proposed temporality capitalization approach on the OC conduct.FindingsResults indicate that the considered constructs have positive and significant correlations with OC development. It has also been found that the employees' alignment is highly correlated with the opportunities they might gain from the OC.Practical implicationsThe proposed temporality capitalization approach shows that providing the employees with clear objectives is not sufficient to support the change, and it is suggested that the change management has to move a step further and seek to target the perspectives of the employees to energize them around the OC and maximize their alignment.Originality/valueIn this paper, change management is approached through the temporality capitalization that confirms the importance of monitoring the change development through the alignment. In other terms, the curve of the adaptation of the change receivers matters and should attract more attention rather than the change implementation speed.


2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 112-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannele Kauppinen-Räisänen ◽  
Johanna Gummerus ◽  
Catharina von Koskull ◽  
Åke Finne ◽  
Anu Helkkula ◽  
...  

Purpose – Consumers gift themselves with luxury fashion brands, yet the motives for self-gifting are not well understood. Whereas traditionally, self-gifting is defined as self-orientated in nature, luxury brands are seen as social statements, and self-gifting of luxury fashion brands that combine these two controversial areas is an interesting research topic. The purpose of this paper is to address this issue by exploring the self-gifting behaviour of consumers, in particular focusing on the personal motives of gifting oneself with luxury fashion brands. Design/methodology/approach – The study takes a multi-qualitative approach involving a small (n=19) but rich sample. Data collection and analysis were triangulated to reduce researcher biases. Findings – The study provides key dimensions for understanding consumers’ perceptions of luxury fashion brands and self-gifting motives (self and socially orientated). The findings reveal that reflections from others are part of the self-gifting phenomenon. It appeared that although self-orientated benefits and personally orientated motives trigger the self-gifting act, the act of actually purchasing explicitly luxury brands for oneself as a gift may be triggered by other-orientated benefits and socially orientated motives. The findings also imply that luxury holds a self-orientated aspect; luxury brands are not only purchased for socially orientated reasons but also for reasons related to oneself. In addition, the findings discuss the act of shopping, where the act can be perceived as a luxury experience and overrun the importance of the brand. Practical implications – The findings provide insights to consumers’ gifting behaviour that may be valuable for retailers and fashion marketers as they plan for marketing activities related to their customers’ self-gifting. Originality/value – Self-gifting represents a view of gifting that remains under-researched. This study uncovers the motives for gifting oneself with luxury fashion brands, a further sub-area in need for more investigation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 409-432
Author(s):  
Rafif Al-Sayed ◽  
Jianhua Yang

Purpose This paper aims at studying the concept of innovation ecosystems and investigating the factors affecting them based on their interrelationships with respect to different innovation archetypes. Design/methodology/approach The methodology is based on using multivariate statistical analysis of the inter-correlations among a number of variables which led to extracting a reduced set of new significant factors that affect China’s innovation ecosystem. Findings The results showed that innovation archetypes differ significantly with respect to the majority of the new factors. Practical implications Through identifying these challenges, decision-makers can develop a better understanding of the variables affecting each archetype of innovation and act accordingly. Originality/value The study is the first to fill the gap of addressing a large number of variables affecting innovation and analyzing their interrelationships.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-61
Author(s):  
Alja Poler De Zwart

Purpose To describe the new EU Whistleblowing Directive and its implications. Design/methodology/approach Describes organizations to which the Directive applies, the scope of reportable whistleblowing concerns, whistleblowers’ reporting channels and mechanisms, whistleblower protections, how organizations should respond to whistleblower reports and how organizations should prepare for the new rules. Findings The new Directive will require Member States to create rules for organizations with more than 50 workers, will mandate such organizations to implement whistleblowing hotlines for reporting a broad range of EU law violations, and will contain minimum standards on how to respond to and handle any concerns raised by whistleblowers. Practical implications Organizations in the EU can and should start taking initial steps to prepare for the new rules as soon as possible. There will likely be some differences among whistleblower rules in individual EU Member States. Originality/value Practical guidance from experienced corporate, technology, media, telecommunications and compliance lawyer.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jadranka Švarc ◽  
Marina Dabić ◽  
Jasminka Lažnjak

PurposeThe main purpose of this research is to analyse the efficiency of the main European monitoring frameworks to estimate the transition of the countries within the European Union (EU) towards circular economy (CE) using the example of Croatia.Design/methodology/approachAssessment methods with reliable data and appropriate indicators are essential when it comes to measuring transition and progress towards CE. The methodology employed in this research is a systematic and critical analysis of the seven European measurement frameworks employed to assess Croatia's progress towards CE.FindingsThe analysis revealed how EU's monitoring frameworks have developed over time and how useful they are in evaluating country's progress towards CE. The measurement tools and indicators proved, in the case of Croatia, insufficient for clarifying and understanding its progress towards CE. Selection of indicators within monitoring frameworks is arbitrary while their interpretation is highly contextual, dependent on policy targets and local conditions. These results can be extrapolated to other EU member states.Practical implicationsPolicy recommendations for more efficient CE transitions are provided.Originality/valueThis research sheds light on the CE development in Croatia – an understudied European country in this context – and discusses the country's goals towards sustainability. The limited success of developed CE indicators is discussed.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernando Tavares ◽  
Eulália Santos ◽  
Vasco Tavares

PurposeThis work aims to characterize the risks companies deal with in the context of a pandemic, and to ascertain which risk type is most present in Portuguese organizations. It is also intended to verify whether there are differences in the various risk types between companies that had or did not have a plan or strategy to act in a pandemic, such as the one caused by COVID-19.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative methodology was used, based on the application of a questionnaire survey targeting the Portuguese companies. The sample is composed of 1,647 Portuguese companies, which were queried through a questionnaire survey that analyses different risk types. Then, the software R was used to treat the results.FindingsThe results show that companies are exposed and vulnerable to uncertain events, and five risk types were formed: legal, image, financial, strategic and operational. There is a bigger concern about the management of financial risks.Practical implicationsAcademics and companies can become more aware and master the concept of risk and its different branches, which consequently favours the adoption of strategies to better manage and plan risk.Originality/valueThe literature on international businesses and their risks assumes that all crises are the same. However, the COVID-19 pandemic, besides causing a recession, obliges people and companies to adapt to a new scenario. Risks become more important to companies, in a way that had not been academically studied.


2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Modar Abdullatif ◽  
Shatha Kawuq

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the current practices of internal auditors in banks in Jordan regarding risk management, especially the risks they are most involved in dealing with, the nature of their responses in the presence of these risks, and appropriateness (according to the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), 2009a) of these responses. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire surveyed views of internal auditors about their roles in risk management. It asked about 20 different types of risks, and, for each individual risk, how internal auditors would respond in its presence. Findings – The role of internal auditors in risk management in banks in Jordan was found to be limited. The risks that internal auditors were most involved in managing were those related to compliance, while the risks least dealt with by internal auditors included those related to the Jordanian economy and culture. Also, most of the respondents reported that they did undertake some inappropriate roles in dealing with the risks. Practical implications – The findings suggest the possibility that internal auditors are not aware of the importance of several types of risks and of the appropriate roles for internal auditors in risk management. Therefore, increasing awareness of these issues is very important. Originality/value – The research topic is relatively new and very under-researched in the Jordanian environment. This study is therefore likely to significantly contribute to the knowledge about how internal auditing operates in a developing country context that differs significantly from the contexts where professional internal auditing standards were issued.


2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 193-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael O’ Regan

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to deconstruct the backpacker label by reconstructing it using the historical antecedent of drifting. Following the deconstruction of backpacking’s near past, the author build a clearer conceptual foundation for backpacking’s future. Design/methodology/approach The study is framed by scenario planning, which demands a critical review of the backpacking and an appreciation of its history in order to understand its future. Findings Backpacking, ever evolving, remains difficult to articulate and challenges researchers to “keep up” with its complexity and heterogeneity. This paper argues that researchers must learn more about how backpacking “works” by opening a dialogue with its past, before engaging in further research. The paper finds that a poor conceptualisation of backpacking has led to a codification of backpacker criteria. Practical implications Backpacking remains a research topic which draws disparate researchers using criteria that produces disparate results and deviations. By understanding its past, researchers will be better placed to explore the emancipatory impulses that drive backpackers today and in the future. Originality/value This papers’ value lies in the retrospection process which explores backpacking’s near past so as to “make sense” of present research and present scenarios for it is the immediate future. The paper re-anchors backpacking by investigating the major historical, social and cultural events leading up to its emergence.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Corinna Cagliano ◽  
Giulio Mangano ◽  
Carlo Rafele ◽  
Sabrina Grimaldi

PurposeThe objective of this paper is to propose an approach to comparatively analyze the performance of drugs and consumable products warehouses belonging to different healthcare institutions.Design/methodology/approachA Cluster Analysis is completed in order to classify warehouses and identify common patterns based on similar organizational characteristics. The variables taken into account are associated with inventory levels, the number of SKUs, and incoming and outgoing flows.FindingsThe outcomes of the empirical analysis are confirmed by additional indicators reflecting the demand level and the associated logistics flows faced by the warehouses at issue. Also, the warehouses belonging to the same cluster show similar behaviors for all the indicators considered, meaning that the performed Cluster Analysis can be considered as coherent.Research limitations/implicationsThe study proposes an approach aimed at grouping healthcare warehouses based on relevant logistics aspects. Thus, it can foster the application of statistical analysis in the healthcare Supply Chain Management. The present work is associated with only one regional healthcare system.Practical implicationsThe approach might support healthcare agencies in comparing the performance of their warehouses more accurately. Consequently, it could facilitate comprehensive investigations of the managerial similarities and differences that could be a first step toward warehouse aggregation in homogeneous logistics units.Originality/valueThis analysis puts forward an approach based on a consolidated statistical tool, to assess the logistics performances in a set of warehouses and, in turn to deepen the related understanding as well as the factors determining them.


2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer L. Flanagan ◽  
Vance Johnson Lewis

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to gain better understanding of the attitudes toward those with tattoo(s) – by both those with and without tattoos – within the workplace. Specifically, this paper works to gain better understanding of attitudes toward those within specific employment and workplace groups.Design/methodology/approachThis study utilized a self-administered Likert scaled original survey through a combined random and snowball sampling method. Results were analyzed using quantitative statistical analysis based on responses to attitudinal questions and demographic factors.FindingsThe results of this study indicate that negative attitudes toward tattoos are diminishing, and that there is an ever shrinking gap in negative attitudes between those with and those without tattoos.Research limitations/implicationsWhile intended to be an exploratory exercise, this study may have been limited by the participant base. Even with a high number of responses, the random and snowball sampling of the participants may have resulted in clusters of data which may not be transferable across the population. Future studies should seek more closed collection of the data within specific organizations or controlled participant groups.Originality/valueThis study makes a new contribution to the literature as it is one of the first studies to specifically ask those with tattoos how they feel about others with tattoos. It is also one of the first academic articles, rather than journalistic, which explores attitudes toward tattoos within specific organizations.


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