Featured case: Through the Eyes of a Whistle-Blower

Adam Waytz and Vasilia Kilibarda

Adam and Vasilia discuss their case which won the United Nations Global Compact PRME Outstanding Case Study on Anti-Corruption 2014.

Whistle-blower role models

Adam: The little research that exists about whistle-blowing tends simply to show the perils of blowing the whistle. Therefore, it is extremely valuable to ‘step into the shoes’ of someone like Sherry Hunt who has blown the whistle effectively. We wanted to give our students the opportunity to do exactly that.

Vasilia: When we stumbled upon a Bloomberg article about Sherry Hunt, we thought the richness and complexity of her story would make the perfect example for students to dive into. She graciously agreed to contribute to what she felt was a good cause: educating future business leaders.

Bringing the story to life

Vasilia: During our interviews with Sherry, we asked her questions about how she felt during this period of time – what worried her, what trade-offs she was weighing in her mind, and what motivated her. Relevant and meaningful details help bring a story to life in a reader’s mind – just like reading about a character in a novel!  Conversely, it’s important to be selective about the information you include as too many details can drown and disengage the reader.

Combating unethical behaviour

Adam: We identified characteristics that contributed to a culture in which unethical behaviour could thrive at Citibank. These can exist anywhere, and various steps can be taken to create environments that don’t foster such behaviour:

• Create clear reporting procedures in your organisation’s whistle-blowing policy so employees know who to go to.
• Minimise the physical and psychological distance between leaders and employees.
• Use mission statements and incentives to reinforce your organisation’s values.
• Cultivate a culture that is open to dissent. 
• Require senior leadership to embody your organisation’s values. (Research shows that leaders who are perceived as ethical have organisations that prosper.)

Unique video material

Vasilia: One great thing about this case is the videos that accompany it, which instructors have access to on Vimeo. These are the only on-camera interviews Sherry Hunt has ever given, and she did so because she believed in the importance of future business leaders learning from her experience. Seeing and hearing from Sherry herself is a great way to engage students during class discussion. It’s the next best thing to having her as a guest speaker in your classroom!

About the authors

Adam Waytz  is Associate Professor of Management and Organization
at Kellogg School of Management. 
e a-waytz@kellogg.northwestern.edu

Vasilia Kilibarda is Manager of Case Writing at Kellogg School of Management.
e v-kilibarda@kellogg.northwestern.edu