Do you believe that employees of a company have an ethical obligation to first attempt to report wrong-doing to members of the company itself or should they go straight to the authorities when they?

Answer 1

This is a very tender and touchy question to answer because companies and most organizations are set up upon ranks of hierocracy and an organizational tree system.

Therefore, reporting wrongdoing to members of a company first or authorities really depend on where in a company the wrongdoing is taking place. My opinion would be that if it is a large company and the wrongdoing is taking place on the lower end of the company I would most likely report it to member who are higher up in the company. If the wrongdoing does not stop or the company from the top is committing the wrongdoing, I will first proceed to report it to the authorities.

The advantages of reporting illegal activity to a company first is that it allows a company the chance to correct their wrongdoings. However, the disadvantages could be harmful. An employee could lose their job, when reported they could go through many red tape, receive manipulation politically, and even die.

Reporting illegal activity to authorities first has advantages like the "NWC" National Whistle Blower Center who broadcast the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2009 on their website of what their protection should be(Williams, 1997 - 2008).

The advantages are to relieve fear and retaliations that may occur which are amoungst the disadvantages. Other advantage if it is authenthic honest and truthful is that reporting wrongdoings of a company the whistleblower recieves percentages of the legal fees incurred which could results in the millions of dollars.

Lastly I would like to add to an disadvantage of reporting illegal activity. Besides from experiecining the process of a lawsuit and trial if a person is found to have claimed a friviluos lawsuit that would tarnish their reputation as an ethical person and prevent them from getting a job in the future.