Consequence Seriousness, Gender, and Intentions to Blow the Whistle on An Unethical Act

Abstract

In organizations, individuals are sometimes confronted with unethical behavior by subordinates, co-workers, or superiors. Some might decide to "blow the whistle" and report the wrongdoing to appropriate authorities. Numerous situational and individual-level factors are thought to influence this decision. We examined a situational factor, consequence seriousness, and an individual- level factor, gender. We hypothesized that individuals would be more likely to form whistleblowing intentions when consequence seriousness was high. We also expected women to be more likely to form whistleblowing intentions than men. Our results supported both hypotheses. Individuals were more likely to form whistleblowing intentions when the consequences of the focal act were serious and women were more likely to state that they would blow the whistle than men.