Corporate Culture
Benefits of whistleblowing programs
The tone is set at the top
Develop a Corporate Culture that values Whistleblowing.
Successful whistleblowing policies require strong leadership from the Board, CEO, audit committee, directors, officers and management.
In a recent four year study by Griffith University into how organisations can help maintain their integrity and value their employees, the two key messages were:
An organisation can and should adopt a policy of ‘when in doubt report’ to encourage the reporting of wrongdoing.Organisations need to improve their performance in supporting and protecting persons who come forward with reports of wrongdoing.
The corporate culture must support the reporting of illegal behaviour and wrongdoing – at all management levels.
Offering multiple (and anonymous) reporting pathways, suitable support and protection for reporters, effective training and efficient management systems for disclosures all combine to create a ‘speak up’ culture.
Whistleblowers are an organisation´s best defence against corporate fraud and serious wrongdoing. It is in the financial and ethical interest of organisations to show leadership in actively developing a corporate culture that protects, encourages and simplifies whistleblowing.
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