ABSTRACT
Every new day brings another fresh round of whistleblowers and their release of yet more previously secret material. Several well-publicized whistleblowers have caught the attention of the world media and have impacted world events. Given the legislated mandate to establish communication channels for reporting wrongdoing within corporations, the newly strengthened sanctions for retaliation against whistleblowers, and financial incentives for whistleblowing, one would expect business and related fields, such as law and public relations, to take an increased interest in the phenomenon of whistleblowing. This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book proposes using evolutionary theory and the “Golden Handcuffs” to explain how public relations and communications executives deal with wrongdoing in their corporations. It explores the history of whistleblowing and the legal protections for whistle-blowers in the United States. The book reviews whistleblowing research in government, management, and law in the United States.
