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Human Relations
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What Makes Whistle-Blowers Effective? Three Field Studies

Marcia P. Miceli

McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University, micelim{at}msb.edu

Janet P. Near

Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, near{at}indiana.edu

Organization members face difficult choices when they encounter situations which they consider illegitimate, immoral, or unlawful, but lack corrective power. They can ‘blow the whistle’ to authorities, but often, their organizations do not change the objectionable practice. Circumstances under which whistle-blowers succeed in terminating perceived wrongdoing have not been studied, so this study tests portions of a preliminary model of effectiveness derived from power theories. Results from three field studies show that whistle-blowers perceive that wrongdoing is more likely to be terminated when: (i) it occurs less frequently, is relatively minor in impact, or has been occurring for a shorter period; and (ii) whistle-blowers have greater power - reflected in the legitimacy of their roles and the support of others. Implications for research and for would-be whistle-blowers, their organizations, and policy makers, are discussed.

Key Words: human resources • organizational behavior • organizational wrongdoing • regression analysis • studies • whistle-blowing

Human Relations, Vol. 55, No. 4, 455-479 (2002)
DOI: 10.1177/0018726702055004463
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