Corruption, intimidation, and organisational wrongdoing: The cross-country comparison of whistleblowing policy as potent antidotes

Whistleblowers hold a distinctive place in modern society, representing both the archetype of the hero and the figure of the prophet. There is a consensus among scholars that whistleblowing is one of the most effective tools to combat corruption and wrongdoings in every organisation, and arguably, whistleblowers are vital elements that keep our society safe. However, whether whistleblower protection laws are in place or not, many of these individuals suffer consequences for speaking up. Whistleblower reward schemes are widely believed to be more effective in mitigating personal risks associated with whistleblowing. Different jurisdictions have recently passed various laws aimed at improving the protection of whistleblowers, and some have introduced reward schemes to enhance their willingness to report. Evidence about the effectiveness of such legislation is, however, scarce in the literature. While research in this area has focused on the various types of retaliation suffered by whistleblowers, it has also overwhelmingly focused on Western and Anglo-Saxon countries for decades. This study concentrates on Nigeria and Ireland as case study countries and provides a fair viewpoint on the experiences of whistleblowers in both the global north and south countries, thereby contributing significantly to the whistleblowing literature. This thesis examines the impact of whistleblower protection legislation on ethical reporting in Nigeria and Ireland, addressing three key questions: its influence on reporting intentions, why laws fail to remedy retaliation, and the role of incentive programs in motivating individuals to report wrongdoing. Using a theoretical framework grounded in organisational justice and power relations theories, I analysed 25 semi-structured interviews; six court-decided whistleblower case laws in Nigeria and Ireland; and 148 responses to a qualitative survey of whistleblower reward schemes administered across 22 countries in Europe, Africa, North America, and Asia to explore how cultural, institutional, and legal contexts affect whistleblowing outcomes. Key findings reveal that Nigeria's 2016 whistleblowing policy, initially successful due to financial incentives, failed due to unenforced protections, institutional corruption, and cultural stigma, exposing whistleblowers to severe retaliation risks like job loss. In contrast, Ireland, under the Protected Disclosures Act (2014, amended 2022), some whistleblower experienced covert retaliation (e.g., career stagnation) and societal perceptions of whistleblowers as “troublemakers”, highlighting shortcomings in legislative implementation. Both examples show that legislation alone is insufficient without cultural alignment, institutional support, and enforcement. The thesis advances theoretical understanding by proposing the Retaliation Paradox Theory, which posits that in situations with weak enforcement and strong power imbalances, protective laws might inadvertently heighten retaliation risks. Similarly, the thesis contributions include advancing the retaliation literature by highlighting the weaponization of spiritual practices, like Voodoo, to silence whistleblowers. Financial incentives, while temporarily effective, require integration with safeguards (anonymity, legal support) to mitigate perceived risks. These findings contribute to both the literatures on whistleblower protection and reward schemes by providing new empirical evidence and conceptual insights to the field of whistleblowing scholarship. It also contributes to practice by offering actionable guidelines to policymakers, managers in organisations, and civil society actors on how to improve whistleblower protections, promote transparency, and strengthen ethical accountability.

Funder

Hardiman Scholarship, University of Galway

Publisher

University of Galway

Rights

CC BY-NC-ND

cbn

Collections

University of Galway Theses (PhD Theses)