Business Ethics Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Business Ethics - Case Study Example ased on the argument that Snowden had not followed the right mechanisms for whistle-blowing and that he was working with foreign states which makes his action treasonous. In countering the view that Snowden did not follow the right channel in his complaints, the example of Drake who tried to complain through these channels but failed is given to indicate that taking that route would have ended the same way as it did for other whistle-blowers. The justification of Snowden’s actions should commence with an understanding of what whistle-blowing means. According to Alavudeen, Rahman, and Jayakumaran the act of whistle-blowing aims to expose â€Å"negligence, abuses, or dangers† (220) within an organization especially when these actions pose a threat to public interest. A key characteristic of a whistle-blower is the possession of expertise or inside knowledge from within the organization. Some authors have identified a whistle-blower as an employee who feels the activities performed by their employer can potentially harm a third party, violate human rights or is against the law which established such institutions and who therefore proceeds to inform the public of this fact (Duska 147). What arises from the above characteristics and motivations behind whistle-blowing is that the actions are deliberate, done by insiders with knowledge and expertise to assess the information, the information concerns actions that threatens citizens’ rights. The information is such that the public wants to know and that such information is given out as petition to for the wrongs to be corrected through public pressure. Based on the definition, Snowden fits the characteristics of a whistle blower given that he had gained insider knowledge about US and European telephone data and Internet surveillance programs by the National Security Agency (NSA) while working as a contractor. Further, the information provided concerned the privacy of the people, which means they would want to know