How program managers can use whistleblowing to reduce fraud within government organizations

• Main Authors: Ernst, Brian A., Kubik, Jeffery J., Cruz, Angel F.
• Other Authors: Naegle, Brad
• Published: Monterey, California: Naval Postgraduate School 2014
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10945/43909

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited === The objective of this project is to recommend how U.S. program managers can use whistleblowing policies to combat fraud within the Department of Defense. Whistleblowers are an underused asset for revealing hidden, immoral, fraudulent, or inappropriate actions within an organization. Not only may whistleblowing identify undetected problems, it may save lives and vast sums of money. This research project answers the following questions: 1) Why is whistleblowing important to a program-management office and its chain of command? 2) What makes someone want to, or not want to, blow the whistle within their organization? 3) How can U.S. defense organizations position themselves to fully utilize the potential power of whistleblowing? The history of whistleblowing in the United States, its positive and negative impacts, and whistleblower decision-making are discussed and an open-systems organizational model is used to demonstrate why a formal whistleblowing process is beneficial. Finally, recommendations are provided as to how organizations can create or strengthen their whistleblowing polices.