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Management article
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Reference no. 88111
Published by: Harvard Business Publishing
Published in: "Harvard Business Review", 1988

Abstract

Jim, an employee of the nuclear division of Fairway Electric, discovered a report written fifteen years ago about a flaw in the design of their Radon II nuclear reactor. The flaw did not present a safety hazard but was expensive to fix. The company had not told customers about the report. After getting no response from the CEO, Jim took the story to a local newspaper. Word soon got out that Jim was a whistle-blower. This created much negative feeling toward Jim within his department. The CEO asked the vice president of the nuclear division to talk with Jim, pressuring him either to transfer to another office or, preferably, to quit. Jim refused. How should the situation have been handled? Experts from human resource management, public relations, and industry tell what they would have done in this situation.

About

Abstract

Jim, an employee of the nuclear division of Fairway Electric, discovered a report written fifteen years ago about a flaw in the design of their Radon II nuclear reactor. The flaw did not present a safety hazard but was expensive to fix. The company had not told customers about the report. After getting no response from the CEO, Jim took the story to a local newspaper. Word soon got out that Jim was a whistle-blower. This created much negative feeling toward Jim within his department. The CEO asked the vice president of the nuclear division to talk with Jim, pressuring him either to transfer to another office or, preferably, to quit. Jim refused. How should the situation have been handled? Experts from human resource management, public relations, and industry tell what they would have done in this situation.

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