Test of Complicity Theory: Is External Whistleblowing A Strategic Outcome of Negative I/O Psychology?

Abstract

Expressed as the announcement and revealing of unethical behaviors, the whistleblowing action is carried out only because of the ethical necessities according to the complicity theory. However, the revealing of unethical behaviors could become fact completely as a result of ethical achievements and as well in consequence of the personal attitudes such as exhaustion, grudge and hatred. The most concrete example for this is the individuals who escaped from criminal organizations and then became confessors. It is obvious that these persons left their organizations and became confessors not because of ethical reasons but because of exhaustion and pressure. A similar case exists in business life as well. Therefore, the complicity theory is tested in the study and it is looked for an answer to the question of “Is the external whistleblowing action realized only due to an ethical necessity or whether it becomes fact with the triggering of the negative I/O psychology?”. Related to this, it was conducted a survey to 91 people working in the same public institution, and their whistleblowing attitudes and negative I/O psychologies were examined. In the result of the analyses performed with correlation, multiple regression, One Way ANOVA and Independent Sample tests, a significant relationship was found between the external whistleblowing attitudes and negative I/O psychologies; and the complicity theory in the literature was rejected in terms of external whistleblowing.

Keywords: Whistleblowing; External Whistleblowing; Negative I/O Psychology; Complicity Theory.