“What is the best defense against a Whistleblower?” & Three Questions with Dick Dube

This week’s question is “What’s the best defense against a whistleblower?”  A few years ago, the SEC announced their bounty program and there was much discussion about it. Is this a good idea for organizations? Does this stop an individual from coming forward with reports? We’ll discuss the reasons I am against financial compensation. What happens to the company culture when you have a whistleblower? Let’s look at Cortland Kelley, head of GM’s inspection program, who raised alarms about the Cavalier and Cobalt vehicles. How did this affect the culture at GM? So, what is the first thing an organization can do to respond to the potential for a whistleblower?  What questions does your organization need to be asking?  You will need to to measure the perception of the culture from the perspective of the employees and  look at all levels of your organization, especially middle management. One last thought about responding to potential whistleblowers is to consider very specifically your retaliation within the organization. This is key to avoidance of whistleblowers and can be key to addressing how you encourage people to come forward internally. This goes hand in hand with working on the culture and also encouraging managers to be primary communicators about all of these issues. THE UPSHOT If you want to avoid having a whistleblower you need to focus on your culture.Tweet This Invest in middle management and understand the perception of retaliation in your organization these three things overlap and there are vitally important to keeping people reporting inside your organization. Three Questions with Dick Dube,  EVP – Chief Audit Executive & Ethics Officer at Old National Bancorp Read Full Transcript This week's question is “What's the best defense against a whistleblower?” A few years ago, the SEC announced its bounty program and there was much discussion about it. At that time, I was working with an organization which was seriously discussing offering an internal reward to individuals who come forward with reports. Wisely, this organization decided not to move forward with the offer. I think there are two good reasons for this decision. One is very practical—how could an internal body match the financial value in some of the recent FCC settlements. The second reason is that it really sends the wrong message. Most organizations have focused on reporting and open communication, wanting a culture that speaks up. We want to make sure that everybody is comfortable coming forward, asking questions and making reports when they feel necessary. I really think that's key in answering the question—how you respond to a whistleblower? The Global Business Ethics Survey, formerly called the National Business Ethics Survey, by the Ethics and Compliance Initiative, actually has data on