Managers aren’t doing enough to encourage whistle-blowing

If something was seriously wrong at your company, would your staff tell you? The article prompts managers to ask themselves some hard questions about the whistle-blowing climate at their companies. By installing processes to answer these questions, senior leaders show greater commitment to internal whistle-blowing, which nudges middle managers to pay more attention to reports of unethical behaviour from lower-level employees. Also, managers often dismiss most whistle-blowing complaints as frivolous, which only deters employees from reporting. Employees may only notice pieces of a growing problem, not the whole ethical breach. Ignoring these reports at the “tip of the iceberg” creates a culture of silence, because employees think they must report more-complete cases of wrongdoing, which means fewer tip-offs. Management should reassure employees that, when they do report problems, someone higher up will take them seriously and investigate. Ultimately, the responsibility to build a pro-whistle-blowing culture lies with the board. Find out more at https://hbr.org/2017/02/managers-arent-doing-enough-to-encourage-whistleblowing