Introduction
The current best practices of whistle-blowing have significance in leadership and healthcare organizations. The whistle-blowing practices entail reporting of violations, abuse, or misconduct within the organizations as per the practices of a whistle-blowing policy. Hence, this essay examines current best practices of whistle-blowing and their positive impacts on leadership and healthcare organizations.
Whistle Blowing and Leadership
Current best practices of whistle-blowing play a central leadership role. Fundamentally, whistle-blowing policy advocates for practices of responsibility, accountability, and transparency. Marquis and Huston (2012) assert that the roles of leaders comprise the management of changes through the change process of forming, storming, norming, and performing, which requires responsibility, accountability, and transparency.
When leaders adopt and implement whistle-blowing practices of responsibility, accountability, and transparency, they promote ethical leadership. Kaufman (2012) argues that dysfunctional working relationships emanate from unethical leadership. In this view, whistle-blowing practices promote ethical leadership that is responsible, accountable, and transparent.
Positive Impact of Whistle Blowing on Leadership
Whistle-blowing practices such as responsibility, accountability, and transparency have a positive impact on the leadership because they compel leaders to exhibit ethical leadership in their decisions, actions, and behaviors. Essentially, for leaders to apply best leadership practices, they should exercise their authority according to the stipulated laws, regulations, and procedures (Marquis & Huston, 2012).
However, since leaders experience numerous challenges in the course of their management duties, they are likely to violate laws, regulations, and procedures that guide their ethical leadership and support best leadership practices (Kaufman, 2012). Thus, whistle-blowing practices of responsibility, accountability, and transparency restrict and prevent leaders from engaging in unethical leadership practices that violate laws, regulations, and procedures.
Marquis and Huston (2012) argue that the independence of employees is an important aspect of leadership for it allows them to exercise their mandates without the fear of coercion, intimidation, or victimization. Therefore, whistle-blowing practices have a positive impact on leadership as they promote ethical leadership.
Whistle Blowing and Organization
The current practices of whistle-blowing are an integral aspect of organizations because they provide liberty for individuals to report violations and acts of misconduct within the organization. The practices of whistle-blowing are dependent on the nature of organizational culture that is common in organizations. Hogg, Van Knippenberg, and Rast (2012) argue that organizational culture is dependent on values, norms, and beliefs that affect the interaction of individuals in an organization.
An organizational culture that has values, beliefs, and norms, which promote autonomy, independence, and the rights of individuals, supports whistle-blowing practices like responsibility, accountability, and transparency. The building of effective teams with a common purpose in organizations creates accountable, responsible, and transparent culture (Gilley, Morris, Waite, Coates, & Veliquette, 2010). Hence, for whistle-blowing practices to be effective in organizations, values, norms, and beliefs should recognize autonomy, independence, and the rights of individuals.
Positive Impact of Whistle Blowing on Healthcare Organizations
Whistle-blowing practices have a positive impact on healthcare organizations because they promote an organizational culture that is accountable, transparent, and responsible. Adams and Anantatmula (2010) argue that social and behavioral forces affect organizational culture because they shape values, norms, and beliefs that organizational members uphold. For instance, healthcare organizations that uphold whistle-blowing practices of responsibility, accountability, and transparency have an ethical culture.
The ethical culture ensures that healthcare providers adhere to healthcare standards and ethical practices, which promote the quality of healthcare services. Glasgow, Weinstock, Lackman, Suplee, and Dreher (2009) state that the implementation of leadership programs that promote ethical values enrich organizational culture. In this view, current whistle-blowing practices have a positive impact on healthcare organizations because they enhance the culture of accountability, responsibility, and transparency.
Conclusion
Whistle-blowing practices play an integral in leadership and organization as they aid in the development of ethical culture. Thus, healthcare organizations should incorporate whistle-blowing practices of responsibility, accountability, and transparency into their culture so that healthcare providers can freely exercise them without undue coercion, victimization, or intimidation. Overall, whistle-blowing practices improve the quality of healthcare services and inculcate ethics in healthcare organizations.
References
Adams, S. L., & Anantatmula, V. (2010). Social and behavioral influences on team process. Project Management Journal, 41(4), 89-98. Web.
Gilley, W., Morris, L., Waite, M., Coates, T., & Veliquette, A. (2010). Integrated theoretical model for building effective teams. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 12(1), 7-28. Web.
Glasgow, S., Weinstock, B., Lackman, V., Suplee, D., & Dreher, M. (2009). The benefits of a leadership program and executive coaching for new nursing academic administrators: One college’s experience. Journal of Professional Nursing, 25(4), 204-210. Web.
Hogg, M. A., Van Knippenberg, D., & Rast, D. E. (2012). Intergroup leadership in organizations: Leading across group and organizational boundaries. Academy of Management Review, 37(2), 232-255. Web.
Kaufman, B. (2012). Anatomy of dysfunctional working relationships. Business Strategy Series, 13(2), 102-106. Web.
Marquis, B. L., & Huston, C. J. (2012). Leadership roles and management functions in nursing: Theory and application. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins. Web.