In 1989, Jeffrey Wigand was a scientist working for tobacco company Brown and Williamson. When he discovered that the company was adding carcinogenic substances to increase the impact of its tobacco, he was fired from his job. In 1996, he went on the TV news show 60 Minutes to reveal this information to the public. His allegations resulted in many state lawsuits that ultimately won $368 billion in settlements against the company, along with greater scrutiny of the tobacco industry. This scenario reflects Wigand's
A) preconventional moral reasoning.
B) whistleblowing.
C) bias suppression.
D) trust propensity.
E) abusive supervision.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Whistleblowing occurs when former or current employees expose illegal or immoral actions of the colleagues, superiors, and the organization. Whistleblowing can be viewed as especially ethical because whistleblowers risk potential retaliation by other members of the organization, especially when whistleblowers lack status and power. Ironically, the company often winds up benefiting from that risk taking, as whistleblowing can bring significant improvements to the ethical culture in an organization over the long term.

In 1989, Jeffrey Wigand Was a Scientist Working for Tobacco