The Whistleblowing Guide

APPENDIX 2Project Methodology

SAMPLE AND DATA COLLECTION

Our focus was on internal whistleblowing recipients because of a lack of research into this group, and our initial assumptions that this would offer valuable insights. We collected primary date in the form of interviews with 23 internal whistleblowing recipients in four organizations and seven external recipients and advisors (n = 30). The first group: recipients of internal whistleblowing claims held positions ranging from: compliance officer, HR manager, HR director, legal counsel, investigator and auditor. The organizations comprised a UK National Health Service Trust, an engineering multinational, a bank with offices in Western Europe and the United States and a central government agency in Southeast Asia. In addition to interview material, we requested and were provided with documents including annual reports, whistleblowing policies, and intranet screenshots. In addition, we interviewed a range of external recipients of disclosures including: a speak‐up consultant, a hotline operator, an external ombudsman, an independent advice line operator, a law‐firm partner and two regulators. The primary interviews were conducted both in person and where necessary via telephone, between November 2015 and February 2016. Each lasted between 40 and 90 minutes. Interview schedules encompassed questions on how the organization had designed, implemented, communicated and managed their internal speak‐up arrangements. We were also interested ...