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Journal of Business Ethics (2005) 62: 277297 Springer 2005
DOI 10.1007/s10551-005-0849-1Whistleblowing in Organizations:An Examination of Correlates ofWhistleblowing Intentions,Actions, and RetaliationJessica R. Mesmer-Magnus
Chockalingam ViswesvaranABSTRACT. Whistleblowing on organizationalwrongdoing is becoming increasingly prevalent. Whataspects of the person, the context, and the transgressionrelate to whistleblowing intentions and to actual whistleblowing on corporate wrongdoing? Which aspectsrelate to retaliation against whistleblowers? Can we drawconclusions about the whistleblowing process by assessing whistleblowing intentions? Meta-analytic examination of 193 correlations obtained from 26 samples(N = 18,781) reveals differences in the correlates ofwhistleblowing intentions and actions. Stronger relationships were found between personal, contextual, and
wrongdoing characteristics and whistleblowing intentthan with actual whistleblowing. Retaliation might bestbe predicted using contextual variables. Implications forresearch and practice are discussed.KEY WORDS: retaliation, retaliatory acts, organizational wrongdoing, organizational justice, whistleblowing, whistleblower characteristics, whistleblowingintentionsIncidents of organizational wrongdoing areincreasingly making headlines (e.g., fraud, corruption, and other unethical acts in organizations likeEnron, WorldCom, Anderson, and Tyco). Whileonce thought to be rare, broad coverage of recentcorporate wrongdoing has led to a widely-held beliefthat scandal may be uncovered in virtually everybusiness or organization (Anand et al., 2004). Withgreater frequency, reports of wrongdoing are madeby members close to the inner workings of theorganization (e.g., by employees, board members orinternal auditors), rather than by external auditingagencies. These individuals, often referred to aswhistle-blowers, risk retaliation both by their organization (e.g., via job loss, demotion, decreasedquality of working conditions) and by the public(e.g., character assassinations, accusations of beingmerely sour grapes, spies, or squealers) in theirefforts to expose perceived immoral or illegal acts(Jubb, 1999; Near and Miceli, 1985).In this manuscript, we examine potential predictors and correlates of whistleblowing behaviorand of retaliation against whistleblowers. Specifically, we employ meta-analytic methodology toexamine the personal and contextual correlates ofChockalingam Viswesvaran (Ph.D. University of Iowa) is aProfessor of Psychology at Florida International University.His research interests include business ethics, personnel selection, and human resource management. He has published inJournal of Applied Psychology, OrganizationalBehavior and Human Decision Processes, andPsychological Bulletin. He has served on 5 editorial boardsand as an Associate Editor of the International Journal ofSelection and Assessment. He is an elected fellow of theSociety for Industrial and Organizational Psychology as wellas Divisions 5 (Measurement) and 14 (Industrial-Organizational Psychology) of the American PsychologicalAssociation.Jessica Mesmer-Magnus (Ph.D. 2005, Florida InternationalUniversity) is an Assistant Professor of Management with theCameron School...