Why don’t employees speak up? ethical issues in business organizations

Abstract

While a new one is added to the ethical problems that exist worldwide every day, when the extent of the damage these problems cause humanity is considered, we are looking for solutions quickly. All stakeholders have to suffer the damages of ethical problems that arise on a business basis. Ethical rules that are violated in line with the interests of a person or persons in a business can easily turn into a form where that person or persons will lose their rights one day. For this reason, it is necessary to stop making decisions in line with personal and short-term interests in businesses or tolerating these decisions. Unfortunately, sometimes in businesses, it is possible to remain silent about some events with the thought that even telling the truth will not benefit or put the person who tells it in a problematic situation. This study investigated the reasons for not speaking out among employees who do not speak out despite knowing about ethical problems in businesses. In this study, the data obtained from the secondary data source was created using the content analysis technique. The study utilized the data from the 2024 Ethics Study Report conducted by the Institute of Business Ethics (IBE). In this context, the data of 16 countries included in the report were compared and examined. According to the results, the primary reason was that employees were afraid they might endanger their jobs if they spoke out, followed by a lack of faith that corrective action would be taken.