Abstract
In their valuable discussion of whistleblowing in healthcare organisations, Mannion and Davies highlight the importance of organisational culture in influencing whether people raise concerns, and whether these concerns are listened to and acted upon. The role of leadership in shaping organisational culture is well-established and in this commentary, we will examine the influence of leaders in creating cultures of silence or cultures of voice.
Highlights
Whistleblowing is frequently portrayed as the act of courageous individuals ‘speaking truth to power,’ a framing of the phenomenon which assumes efforts to raise concerns will invariably be met by resistance from those in power
In the case of healthcare organisations, many senior managers come from a clinical background, and we should find it shocking that a Medical Director will ignore well-founded concerns over the quality or safety of patient care, perhaps even victimising the individual who raised them
Changing the way healthcare organisations respond to whistleblowing will require significant changes in the attitudes and behaviour of the people who lead them
Summary
Whistleblowing is frequently portrayed as the act of courageous individuals ‘speaking truth to power,’ a framing of the phenomenon which assumes efforts to raise concerns will invariably be met by resistance from those in power. In the case of healthcare organisations, many senior managers come from a clinical background, and we should find it shocking that (for example) a Medical Director will ignore well-founded concerns over the quality or safety of patient care, perhaps even victimising the individual who raised them.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
