Whistleblowers: Ethics in Business

Students work for a simulated business and must decide what to do about a dilemma. Is it better to remain quiet about a potential problem their team discovers in their simulated business or speak out? Students will work in groups to decide, based on research and debate, whether to "blow the whistle.

Introduction

When people hear the term whistleblowing, they think of a person, such as a police officer or athletic coach, blowing a whistle. This is not the only meaning of this term. The business world adapted the expression to denote someone who alerts others to the truth of a situation, truth against fraud, waste and abuse.

In the following WebQuest, you will use teamwork and Internet resources to learn all about whistleblowing.