Have you been faced with making a decision about whether or not to blow the whistle on an employer, organization,
or fellow employee (past or present)? If the answer is yes, I need to talk to you, whether or not you blew the whistle.
All interviews will be strictly confidential and completely voluntary.
WHAT IS WHISTLEBLOWING?
Whistleblowing is an act that attempts to point out unlawful activities of an employer or organization. When
employees see an unlawful act, or are asked to perform an unlawful act, they have a social or moral responsibility
to report the action to authorities.
Whistleblowing is not something that employees take lightly, nor should employers. It is a lifechanging action that
can have potentially catastrophic consequences for both the whistleblower and any person or organization on
whom the whistle is blown.
Research in this area concerns the exploratory research questions of what leads a person to make the difficult
decision to blow the whistle on their employer, as well as what holds them back from doing so.
WHAT IS A DOCTORAL STUDY?
Once doctoral learners pass their comprehensive examinations, they begin the arduous process of completing a
doctoral dissertation. A dissertation is a report on the steps undertaken in completing a study that contributes to
the field of knowledge of a specific topic. The research methodology chosen by this doctoral learner is a descriptive
qualitative study that will employ a research design that is a phenomenological case study approach.
Phenomenology is the study of how individuals experience things (phenomena). In this case, the phenomenon
being researched regards an area of business ethics called whistleblowing. My research questions what makes a
person decide to (or not to) blow the whistle on their employer. Is it something they do after a long period of
thought? Do they consider the ramifications of what will happen once they blow the whistle? In other words, what
are they thinking at that exact moment of making the decision?
WHAT ARE THE RISKS TO YOU?
The steps to ensure confidentiality of study participants and research materials are three-fold. First, participant
names will be replaced with a numeric code so no one is able to identify the participant should a break-in occur.
The codes will be created so that no patterns of development occur. The participant will not know their code (nor
anyone else’s code) so that leakage of the codes does not occur. Second, the data field notes, tapes, and
questionnaires/surveys for the project will be locked up in a cabinet and only the researcher has the key. Third,
once the data is transcribed and coded, it will be stored on a removable hard drive that is locked inside a fire-
proof safe at the end of each day. A duplicate copy will be kept with the researcher on a USB storage drive.
FACTS REGARDING THE STUDY
Data collection methods: Interviews via: (a) in person, (b) telephone, (c) email, or (d) instant messaging.
The interview method of research is a conversation with a purpose and is Non-experimental in design. The
interviewer conducts one-to-one conversations and collects detailed personal information from individuals using
questions. Confidentiality: Your privacy is important: Only the researcher will have access to the information
collected in this project. While the study is ongoing, transcripts, both paper and CD versions, will be secured in
the privacy of the researcher's home office.
Doctoral Dissertation Research: Whistleblowers: A study of employee decision-making.
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CONTACT TINA LAMB DIRECTLY AT:
Phone: 317.888.0603
Cell: 317.698.5964
Fax: 866.231.4321
Email: tinalamb@comcast.net
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