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1.0. INTRODUCTIONA Worthwhile exposition of whistle blowing can be undertaken from the proper understanding of business ethics dichotomy. Ethics studies moral obligatio n involving the distinction between right and wrong. Business ethics is a culmination of attempts to extend moral dimensions to business practices. Business operations have to be grounded upon a moral foundation if its practices are to be reliable and predictable. Hence, business ethics aims at promoting ethical conduct in business practices. (Trevinno & Nelson 2007).It must be noted that the government is heavily involved in the economy in that it owns parastatals and it also has significant claims in privately owned entities. These parastatals are also reeling from deep seated corruption and corporate malpractices. The government may not be fully sympathetic to the public because it may be afraid that publicly acknowledging and supporting whistle blowing can inspire those employed by the government itself to expose unethical business practices when they discover them in government owned business organization. Within the higher public sector landscape, there has to be a culture of good governance which support whistleb lowing while protecting the whistleblower. Good governance is reflected in an organization culture where ethical practices are made real. (Larmer 2002).Whistleblowing is a routine activity in majority of public sector agencies in African countries. The whistle blowers and the organization are inevitab ly opposed because competition between public or private sector organization to defend their interest and advance their power means that they habitually act unethically. If the organization discourage whistle blowing, co-workers are less likely to offer help for protection of whistleblowers (Mesmer & Viewesvara n 2005). De Maria (2005) argues that corruption in Africa has been routinized and Organizationalized to the extent that whistleblowing policies in Africa are predominantly addressing non-systematic corruption thereby rendering whistle blowing policies inefficacious. Corruption has become Organizatio na l in most countries (Nigeria, Pakistan) that very few people in government, schools, business and society in general still have the moral standing to crack the moral whip against perpetrator of business malpractices in their midst.As a result, it has become imperative to determine the extent to which higher public organizstio ns are implementing and managing whistleblowing mechanisms in an attempt to curb unethica l conduct. The awareness about the absence of a system that ensures whistleblowing so as to curb corruption in its different manifestation may necessitate certain interventio n and initiatives in the public sector organization. Zipparo (1999) delineates that there should be legislation to encourage public sector employee to report wrong doing.In workplaces across the world, law, education, culture and practice gives a strong message that employees should turn a blind eye to wrongdoing and should not raise their concerns internally or externally. The consequences of this culture are that it discourages normal, decent people from questioning wrong doing that they come across in their jobs. It encourages employees to be guided exclusively by their own short-term interests and undermines any sense of mutual interest between the workforce, the organizatio n and those it serves. De Maria (2006) argues that even though the use of whistleblower programmes is a central marker in any Organization, the take up rates are significantly low. The reality of whistleblowers would provide little justification for governme nt or senior public sector managers to think 'proactively' about how to manage whistleblowing cases (Brown, Mazurski & Olsen2008).Whistleblowers suffer in various ways including ostracism, harassment, punishment, punitive transfers, reprimands and dismissal. Bosses and top managers are responsible for many attacks of whistleb lowers but coworkers often join in or do nothing often due to fear that they could be the next victim. … |