Preview

Cultural Relativism and Whistleblowing

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
861 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Cultural Relativism and Whistleblowing
Explain using the ethics of cultural relativism the advantages and disadvantages of whistle blowing
Cultural relativism is the principle regarding the beliefs, values, and practices of a culture from the viewpoint of that culture itself (Chegg.com: 2012). It is the concept that the importance of a particular cultural idea varies from one society or societal subgroup to another and that ethical and moral standards are relative to what a particular society or culture believes to be good or bad, right or wrong. In other words, “right” and “wrong” are culture-specific; what is considered moral in one society may be considered immoral in another, and, since no universal standard of morality exists, no one has the right to judge another society’s customs.
According to Philosophy All About.org (2012) the view that the varied moral or ethical systems are all equally valid is based on the idea that there is no ultimate standard of good or evil; so every judgment about right and wrong is a product of society. Therefore, any opinion on morality or ethics is subject to the cultural perspective of each person. Ultimately, this means that no moral or ethical system can be considered the “best,” or “worst,” and no particular moral or ethical position can actually be considered “right” or “wrong.” Cultural perspective therefore can help us understand why certain actions are considered right or wrong by a particular culture. The actions being referred to include the act of whistle blowing.
Boatwright (2009: 90) defines the act whistle blowing as the release of information by a member or former member of an organisation that is evidence of illegal and/or immoral conduct in the organisation or conduct in the organisation that is not in the public interest. Nadler and Schulman (2006) assert that whistle blowing is intricately linked to ethics in that it represents a person’s understanding, at a deep level, that an action his or her organisation is taking is taking is harmful and

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    This incident Challenger present us a case study in organizational communication, ethics and culture as it promotes or discourages necessary communication and the ethics of whistle blowing.…

    • 427 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    According to DeGeorge, for whistle-blowing to be considered ethical there first must be a serious harm that the whistle-blowing aims to prevent, which is greater than the harm it causes the firm and stakeholders. In this case, the corrupt activities are very serious and would have posed a greater harm going undetected than the negative media attention and charges brought against the firm. DeGeorge’s second condition states that the whistle-blower is required to first attempt to prevent…

    • 1698 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    This document will describe the key characteristics of a whistleblower and briefly summarize one researched instance of whistleblowing in one publicly traded company within the last 12 months. It will…

    • 1292 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    ART 101 Week 5 DQ

    • 656 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Cultural Relativism. Cultural relativism asserts that every culture has its own set of customs and beliefs, and that culture must be understood by the standards and values of the people within that culture. Anthropologists think that things that might seem cruel or irrational in our own culture must be seen through the lens of cultural relativity, and that all cultures have practices or beliefs that can be seen by others as repugnant or incomprehensible.…

    • 656 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Culture-The idea that the morality of an action depends on the beliefs of one cultures or nation.…

    • 450 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Doing what’s right is never an easy decision one when it comes to work. However, when it comes to whistleblowing, this may be the hardest choice that someone will ever have to make in their life. Handling a whistleblower claim means dealing with the possibility that repercussions may come in the terms of unemployment, drop of income, loss of friendships, and reputation. The choice of a whistleblower can be impossible to make, in terms, of how they are going to bring to higher authorities.…

    • 84 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    When faced with a difficult situation of morals, choice, and possible destruction of a person’s protection and survival, individuals find themselves in a formidable situation. This is a common occurrence for people who become known as a whistleblower. There is a problem in the United States with protection of individuals for whistleblowing in the workplace, and not enough is being done for these individuals. Whistleblowing is increasing and has become more common, more frequent, and sometimes dangerous. Individuals could potentially face the inability of obtaining another job because they are stigmatized as a whistleblower. This paper will focus on two questions: How does the society’s view support whether someone will blow the…

    • 1797 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Mike Rich

    • 2507 Words
    • 11 Pages

    The whistleblower poses no single entity, whether it being a single person or a business as a whole, to count itself immune to the dangers of corruption or malfeasance. Those who blow the whistle can neither risk the silencing of themselves for reasons of concrete evidence that question the proper moral and ethical interests of the public eye. According to Sissela Bok, “’Whistleblowing’ is a new label generated by our increased awareness of ethical conflicts encountered at work. Whistleblowers sound an alarm from within the very organization in which they work, aiming to spotlight neglect or abuses that threaten the public interest.” Take Frank Serpico, for example, a man whom was willing to risk his life, yet alone his career, to sound the alarm on the corruption within the very organization for which he worked for, the New York Police Department. Here in my discussion, we will examine and discuss Serpico’s case in correlation to the points made by Sissela Bok’s discussion on whistleblowing.…

    • 2507 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Cultural Relativism is the view that all beliefs, customs, and ethics are relative to the individual within his own social context. Cultural relativists believe that all cultures are worthy in their own right and are of equal value. Diversity of cultures, even those with conflicting moral beliefs, is not to be considered in terms of right and wrong or good and bad. Some believe that morality is relative to culture, but some believe that argument is invalid. Some also argue that there is such a thing as moral isolationism.…

    • 811 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Afghan Woman

    • 583 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Cultural Relativism is the practice of judging a culture by its own standards (pg. 54) it maybe difficult for travelers to adapt to. It requires not only openness to unfamiliar values and norms but also the ability to put aside cultural standards we have known all of our lives.…

    • 583 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Ford Pinto Case Study

    • 1158 Words
    • 5 Pages

    References: De George, R. (2006). Chapter 12 Whistle blowing. “Business Ethics”, 6thed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall…

    • 1158 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In this short essay I am going to discuss about Jeffrey Wigand who was a head of Research & Development at the Brown & Williamson tobacco company. After few years of his Research, He suddenly came to know that certain additives such as nicotine was being added in large amounts in the manufacturing process of tobacco products which was very harmful to the users and that can lead to serious health issues. Jeffrey Wigand was completely justified in his actions against Brown & Williamson Company as he is fulfilling all the five criteria of De George. De George’s five criteria under whistle blowing can be considered to be morally permissible. The action is morally justified, when it meets the requiring five criteria.…

    • 724 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Answer: Whistleblowing is the act of providing information to law enforcement or regulatory agencies about a business that is engaged in suspected illegal or improper activities (El, 2013). Employees may also notify management about a co-worker’s unlawful activities. To protect the public interest and encourage employees’ disclosure of illegal or unethical activities, Congress passed the Whistleblower Protection Act in 1989, which allows employees to file a complaint against an employer if they believe an employer is retaliating against them for disclosing improper activities (El, 2013).…

    • 2026 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Whistleblowing

    • 1739 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Whistleblowing is a relatively recent entry into the vocabulary of politics and public affairs, although the type of behavior to which it refers is not wholly new. How is it defined? Whistleblowing refers to a warning issued by a member or former member of an organization to the public about a serious wrongdoing or danger created or concealed within the organization. In a genuine case of whistleblowing, the whistleblower would have to have unsuccessfully utilized all appropriate channels within the organization to right a wrong. Many view whistleblowing as an external action to an unresponsive organization and reporting more as an internal process, done through organizational channels. I believe one would have to…

    • 1739 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Whistleblowers have made headlines in media for much of modern American history. The viewpoints regarding whistleblowers are conflicted: some view them as heroes who rightfully expose government truths while others see them as criminals that should be punished with the fullest extend of the law. In fact, according to the “Whistleblowers” article in the Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, “many whistleblowers are considered renegades or even traitors, and they may suffer both legally and in terms of their reputations.” In reality, however, whistleblowing informs the public that not everything is how it seems and calls for recognition of these problems. Despite many negative criticism toward these whistleblowers, in the course of history, they…

    • 418 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics