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Reporting on Whistleblowing
On 13 November Prof Deon Rossouw and Liezl Groenewald conducted our annual masterclass for Supporters of TEI. This year’s topic - the management of whistleblowing reports - was attended by 110 supporters, an unprecedented number!
Three topics were discussed including the what of whistleblowing, the system of whistleblowing and the culture of whistleblowing. Attendees agreed that having a whistleblowing ecosystem (e.g. a hotline), policies and processes in place, do not guarantee that employees will report misconduct. To report misconduct, stakeholders must trust the system, and such trust can only be created when they know that their reports will be acted on and when they receive feedback on the outcomes of investigations into their reports. Interestingly, 56% of attendees work for organisations that do not have an integrated whistleblowing data management system.
Cynthia Stimpel, former Group Treasurer of SAA, and whistleblower who saved SAA R256 million in 2016, provided valuable and insightful information about how the broader organisational culture impacts on whistleblowing and how whistleblowers are treated in their organisations. She also expanded on how organisational cultures can be created where stakeholders feel free and protected to speak up. Hearing from an actual whistleblower definitely contributed to the huge success of this Masterclass.
We look forward to seeing all of you at the 2021 Supporters’ Masterclass!
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