In spite of supposedly comprehensive protective legislation, evidence suggests that whistleblowers enjoy little effective legal protection. Rather than emphasising the processes needed to support, strengthen and protect the... more
In spite of supposedly comprehensive protective legislation, evidence suggests that whistleblowers enjoy little effective legal protection. Rather than emphasising the processes needed to support, strengthen
and protect the whistleblower, and thereby encouraging whistleblowing, this article explores ways in which whistleblowing could be pre‑empted by institutionalising the spirit of whistleblowing through the creation of what we call an ethogenic organisation. In such an organisation, an organisational culture is established that allows and encourages all employees (including management) to identify and resolve issues of perceived wrongdoing in a way that is beneficial to everybody concerned, and is not driven by process.
Key words: Ethogenic organisation, organisational culture, whistleblowing, whistleblowing legislation
The main research focus of the sociology of business ethics is on (i) the moral foundations of people’s behaviour, both within and outside the business context, (ii) how compatible or contradictory these behaviours are and (iii) how... more
The main research focus of the sociology of business ethics is on (i) the moral foundations of people’s behaviour, both within and outside the business context, (ii) how compatible or contradictory these
behaviours are and (iii) how stable a society or component of a society would be if self-interest is the main governing principle, without being constrained by moral discipline. This entails providing accurate
descriptions and explanations of ethical situations. Whistle-blowing research is used to examine the methodological challenges of business ethics researchers. The analysis demonstrates the importance
of an integrated multi-strategy approach that would facilitate an investigation of the motivations and decision processes of individual actors in the larger social context, especially within the organisation.
Whistleblowing involves the unauthorised disclosure of organisational wrongdoing by an employee (or former employee) to those who are perceived to be in a position to act on this information. When considering whether to disclose such... more
Whistleblowing involves the unauthorised disclosure
of organisational wrongdoing by an employee (or former
employee) to those who are perceived to be in a position to act
on this information. When considering whether to disclose such
information, whistleblowers confront the conflicting demands
of the morality of principle versus the morality of loyalty.
The aim of this paper is to explore the dynamics involved
in this moral dilemma. A typology reflecting the possible
responses in managing such moral dilemmas is developed. Three
dimensions related to wrongdoing, namely perceptions, extent
of the wrongdoing and power relationships are also analysed.
It is concluded that, although the conflicting demands of the
morality of principle versus the morality of loyalty will always
exist, there are measures that can be taken to limit the impact
of these conflicts and in the long run even resolve them. In
particular, if loyalty is reconceptualised as rational loyalty,
the disclosure of perceived wrongdoing could more easily be
interpreted as loyalty to the organisation as a whole.
This paper focuses on University of Johannesburg (UJ) students’ views on remaining in or leaving South Africa. These views are based on the degree of trust students perceive the government (broadly defined) to be worthy of, and the degree... more
This paper focuses on University of Johannesburg (UJ) students’ views on remaining in or leaving South Africa. These views are based on the degree of trust students perceive the government (broadly defined) to be worthy of, and the degree of engagement in the affairs of the country that students are prepared to expend in the context of perceived threats to South African citizens. A survey of 1214 undergraduate students on all four UJ campuses was conducted in 2011. Care was taken that the sample reflected the overall picture of the research population. The data is analysed in terms of a typology that considers the extent to which people either respond to real or perceived threats based on trust or distrust in the government’s ability and willingness to protect their interests as citizens. On this basis, they could furthermore either engage the threatening reality or disengage from it altogether. The paper analyses the extent to which patterns can be identified among different groups of UJ undergraduate students with regard to the four possible responses that emerge from the developed typology: Trusting engagement, trusting disengagement, distrusting engagement and distrusting disengagement.
The throughput rates of South African universities have been on the agenda of government and educational institutions for quite a while now. One of the factors that could impact university throughput rates positively is the influence of... more
The throughput rates of South African universities have been on the agenda of government and educational institutions for quite a while now. One of the factors that could impact university throughput rates positively is the influence of academic role models. Research has shown that adult role models sharing the same sex, race and/or age with the student could boost their academic performance. In light of this, this study aimed at exploring the differences between groups of first year sociology students at a South African urban university with regard to the criteria they use to select academic role models. The study was conducted at its main campus in 2011. A quantitative research methodology in the form of a self-administered survey was employed. It was found that the sociology first year students at the South African university considered academic qualifications/standing to be the most important criterion when selecting an academic role model compared to age and other socially ascribed statuses like race and sex. The findings of this study therefore diverge from the mainstream findings in the field of role models. This finding implies that the exclusive emphasis on making equity appointments within tertiary institutions in order to establish credible academic role models for university students should be revisited to make provision for a more complex approach, which goes beyond the focus on ascribed status.
This paper focuses on University of Johannesburg students’ views on remaining in or leaving South Arica. These views are based on the degree of trust students perceive the government (broadly defined) to be worthy of, and the degree of... more
This paper focuses on University of Johannesburg students’ views on remaining in or leaving South Arica. These views are based on the degree of trust students perceive the government (broadly defined) to be worthy of, and the degree of engagement in the affairs of the country that students are prepared to expend in the context of perceived threats to South African citizens. A survey of 1 214 undergraduate students on all four UJ campuses was conducted in 2011. Care was taken that the sample reflected the overall picture of the research population. The data is analysed in terms of a typology that considers the extent to which people either respond to real or perceived threats based on trust or distrust in the government’s ability and willingness to protect their interests as citizens. On this basis, they could furthermore either engage the threatening reality or disengage from it altogether. The paper analyses the extent to which patterns can be identified among different groups of U...
Young South Africans today face a multitude of critical and demanding challenges: the literature highlights identity conundrums; stresses implicit in academic environments; and numerous and contradictory messages on race, nationality and... more
Young South Africans today face a multitude of critical and demanding challenges: the literature highlights identity conundrums; stresses implicit in academic environments; and numerous and contradictory messages on race, nationality and citizenship in a transforming, post-apartheid context. This article focuses on one key controversy in present-day South Africa, namely, young people’s sentiments towards and perceptions of foreign nationals and their place in a democratic South Africa. The attitudes expressed are explained, first, through reference to anomic conditions in South Africa, in which levels of trust have been debilitated and in which negative public discourses of foreigners have been allowed to become hegemonic; and second, through students’ suggestions that problematic perceptions of black foreigners stem largely from a lack of substantive knowledge of Africa, its history, and its inhabitants. It is argued that universities need to take seriously the Soudien Report’s (20...
Whistleblowing: The South African Experience Tina Uys Department of Sociology University of Johannesburg The Republic of South Africa 1. Introduction According to the World Democracy Audit [2007] eleven of the 25 most corrupt countries in... more
Whistleblowing: The South African Experience Tina Uys Department of Sociology University of Johannesburg The Republic of South Africa 1. Introduction According to the World Democracy Audit [2007] eleven of the 25 most corrupt countries in the world are in Africa (Kenya, ...
