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Role of retaliation and value orientation in whistleblowing intentions

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Abstract

Present study aims to examine the role of perceived fear of retaliation and value orientations (individualism, collectivism, idealism, and relativism) on whistleblowing intentions (both internal and external). Sample used in the present study consists of 237 executive MBA students from two leading Indian business schools. According to the results of paired sample t test, respondents reported significantly higher internal whistleblowing intentions than external whistleblowing intentions. Results also indicate that there is a significant inverse relationship between fear of bad consequences on job and whistleblowing intentions (both internal and external). Also, fear of bad consequences for the company is positively correlated with internal whistleblowing intentions. Lastly, collectivism is also found to be positively related with internal whistleblowing intentions. Limitations and implications of the findings were also discussed.
Role of retaliation and value orientation
in whistleblowing intentions
Sanjay Dhamija
1
&Snigdha Rai
2
Received: 28 July 2016 /Accepted: 5 April 2017 /Published online: 10 May 2017
#Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2017
Abstract Present study aims to examine the role of perceived fear of retaliation and value
orientations (individualism, collectivism, idealism, and relativism) on whistleblowing
intentions (both internal and external). Sample used in the present study consists of 237
executive MBA students from two leading Indian business schools. According to the
results of paired sample ttest, respondents reported significantly higher internal
whistleblowing intentions than external whistleblowing intentions. Results also indicate
that there is a significant inverse relationship between fear of bad consequences on job and
whistleblowing intentions (both internal and external). Also, fear of bad consequences for
the company is positively correlated with internal whistleblowing intentions. Lastly,
collectivism is also found to be positively related with internal whistleblowing intentions.
Limitations and implications of the findings were also discussed.
Keywords Whistleblowing intentions .Fear of retaliation .Value orientation
Introduction
A larger number of business frauds and wrongdoings got exposed in last two decades.
The examples of these corporate fraud includes ill-reputed cases, like Enron,
WorldCom, Anderson, Tyco International, Satyam Computers, Reebok, and CitiBank
to name a few, which lead to extensive discussion about fraud prevention in the
Asian J Bus Ethics (2018) 7:3752
DOI 10.1007/s13520-017-0078-6
*Snigdha Rai
snigdharai@sibmpune.edu.in
Sanjay Dhamija
sdhamija@imi.edu
1
International Management Institute (IMINew Delhi), B-10, Qutab Institutional Area, Tara
Crescent, New Delhi 110016, India
2
Symbiosis Institute of Business ManagementPune (SIBM Pune), Symbiosis Knowledge Village,
Pune, India
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