"Foreword" [2014] ELECD 606; in Brown, J. A.; Lewis, David; Moberly, E. Richard; Vandekerckhove, Wim (eds), "International Handbook on Whistleblowing Research" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2014) xviii

Book Title: International Handbook on Whistleblowing Research

Editor(s): Brown, J. A.; Lewis, David; Moberly, E. Richard; Vandekerckhove, Wim

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

ISBN (hard cover): 9781781006788

Section Title: Foreword

Number of pages: 5

Extract:

Foreword


Whistleblowing, and whistleblowing research, have come a long way,
and fast. I can still remember how in 2001, after several years of research
on whistleblowing laws, and collaboration with Professor Janet Near on a
study of their effectiveness, I approached her about helping to sponsor an
international conference on whistleblowing. It had become evident that
state whistleblowing statutes in the United States, passed to protect
whistleblowers and encourage reporting, were not very effective. It
seemed to me that we could benefit from an exchange of experiences,
findings and ideas with researchers from other countries. The result was
the world's first International Whistleblowing Conference, held at Indiana
University's Bloomington campus in April 2002. It was an exciting time
because the field was so new and rapidly developing, and it was a unique
opportunity to discuss our interests and results with others. That event
seems so very recent ­ only a little over a decade ago.
How could it only be so recently that the first international research
meeting dedicated to whistleblowing was held? Perceived wrongdoing
and individuals who report it to others to try and get it stopped have been
around as long as humanity. So why is research into such a vital,
ubiquitous phenomenon in social and political life so relatively young?
Of course, research into whistleblowing has been going on longer than
since 2002. In modern times, the first major gatherings and publications
dealing with the increasingly important roles of organizational insiders
who report wrongdoing began to ...