Theorizing whistleblowing: Addressing the research agenda

This study seeks to advance whistleblowing theory by developing comprehensive foundational frameworks for whistleblowing analysis. The need for such frameworks is driven by two closely related factors. First, there is the ongoing rapid transformation of the whistleblowing phenomenon, fueled by globalization, the adoption of digital information technologies, and the integration of whistleblowing practices across different jurisdictions and cultural contexts. These rapid changes are increasingly outpacing the capabilities of existing frameworks. Second, whistleblowing research faces a significant gap due to the limited theoretical tools available to address the diverse and complex aspects of whistleblowing disclosures. This gap is rooted in the intricate, multi-dimensional nature of whistleblowing, shaped by a wide range of influences. Whistleblowing, as a field of study, lies at the intersection of multiple disciplines, including management, law, business ethics, sociology, and psychology. Furthermore, the whistleblowing process and its outcomes are affected by both formal and informal forces and structures, ranging from private and public organizations to cultural norms. Finally, whistleblowing operates across multiple levels simultaneously: individual, organizational, and external (such as organizational fields and national or supranational levels). To develop frameworks capable of addressing these diverse and complex factors, this study employed a research strategy rooted in interpretive theorization and utilized the theoretical tools provided by institutional theory. This innovative approach revealed the potential of institutional theory for analyzing whistleblowing in ways that had not been previously explored. Moreover, throughout the study, the frameworks developed were iterative, often building upon one another and incorporating insights from both whistleblowing research and communication theory. This process led to the creation of models that not only capture a wide range of factors facilitating whistleblowing disclosures but also clarify the complex interactions among them, explain the nature of their influence, and illuminate the effects they generate. The study demonstrated both the theoretical and practical value of these frameworks, as evidenced by the analysis of the high-profile Theranos case and the exploration of the impact of digital technologies on whistleblowing. In doing so, the study addressed three major gaps in existing whistleblowing scholarship. First, the comprehensive frameworks developed in this research enable a genuinely interdisciplinary analysis of whistleblowing, contrasting with the current dominant multidisciplinary approach, where various aspects of whistleblowing are viexamined independently without consideration of their interconnections. Second, the study’s exploration of institutional theory for theoretical model development highlighted the limitations of the existing institutional approach, which tends to focus primarily on regulatory aspects while neglecting the broader social environment. Third, the study provided a nuanced examination of the impact of digital information technologies on whistleblowing at two levels: the whistleblowing process itself and its broader context, representing a significant advancement beyond the whistleblowing literature’s narrow focus on the most visible effects of digitalization. Overall, this study, through its substantial theoretical and practical contributions, offers a framework aimed at facilitating the current phase of whistleblowing’s evolution.

Publisher

University of Galway

Rights

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

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Collections

University of Galway Theses (PhD Theses)