Compiling the Knowledge Framework of Tax Whistleblowing Disclosure by Analyzing the Role of Organizational Structure and Culture

Document Type : Original Research Manuscripts

Authors

1 Department of Public Administration, Faculty of Management and Accounting, University of Tehran, Farabi Campus, Qom, Iran

2 PhD Candidate, University of Tehran Aras international campus, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract
The aim of the current research is to compile the knowledge framework of tax whistleblowing disclosure by analyzing the role of the organization's structure and culture. In the current complex and global economic era, concepts such as financial transparency and disclosure knowledge in the field of taxation have become vital for sustainable development and creating economic justice. The present research aimed to answer how structural and cultural factors influence tax whistleblowing by using qualitative content analysis and data triangulation. The research spanned from 2014 to 2023, involving a research community within the tax organization. Six individuals were selected as interviewees using purposeful sampling. The research findings revealed that, despite the presence of structures to facilitate whistleblowing in the tax organization studied, a culture of non-whistleblowing prevailed. In other words, cultural factors overshadowed structural factors, rendering them ineffective in many cases. The practical implication of this research for policymakers, managers, and other administrative professionals is to emphasize the role of organizational culture over other factors influencing tax disclosure knowledge towards organizational transparency. Success in developing tax whistleblowing disclosure knowledge hinges on acknowledging cultural beliefs about whistleblowing, as structural arrangements alone cannot promote organizational whistleblowing. 

Keywords

Subjects

Akimova, L., Litvinova, I., Ilchenko, H., Pomaza-Ponomarenko, A., & Yemets, O. (2020).  The Negative Impact of Corruption on the Economic Security of States. International Journal of Management, 11(5), 1058–1071.
Alineqian, N., & Nasrasafhani, A. (2015). Investigating organizational structural and cultural factors on organizational whistle-blowing, International conference on the development and promotion of humanities and management in society. [in Persian]
Alleyne, P., Hudaib, M. & Pike, R. (2013). Towards a conceptual model of whistleblowing intentions among external auditors. The British Accounting Review, 45 (1), 10-23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bar.2012.12.003
Antinyan, A., Corazzini, L., & Pavesi, F. (2020). Does trust in the government matter for whistleblowing on tax evaders? Survey and experimental evidence. Journal of economic behavior & organization, 171, 77-95.
Aqli, M., & Nik Menesh, S. (2019). Investigating the impact of organizational leadership factors on the tendency to whistle-blowing. Development of management and human resources and support, 1-35. [in Persian]
Bashir, S.  Rafigh, K., Hamid and Hanif., Ayesha and Naseer Chohan, Sara. (2011). Whistle-blowing in public sector organizations: evidence from pakistan, The American Review of Public Administration, 41 (3), 285–296. https://doi.org/10.1177/0275074010376818
Batrancea, L. M., Nichita, A., De Agostini, R., Batista Narcizo, F., Forte, D., de Paiva Neves Mamede, S., ... & Budak, T. (2022). A self-employed taxpayer experimental study on trust, power, and tax compliance in eleven countries. Financial Innovation, 8(1), 96.
Berry, B. (2004). Organizational culture: A framework and strategies for facilitating     employee whistleblowing’. Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal, California: SAGE Publications.16 (1), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:ERRJ.0000017516.40437.b1
Buccirossi, P., Immordino, G., & Spagnolo, G. (2021). Whistleblower rewards, false reports, and corporate fraud. European Journal of Law and Economics, 51(3), 411-431.
Callahan, E. S., Dworkin, T. M., Fort, T. L., & Schipani, C. A. (2002). Integrating trends in whistle blowing and corporate governance: Promoting organizational effectiveness, societal responsibility, and employee empowerment. American Business Law Journal, 40 (1), 177-215. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-1714.2002.tb00913.x
Ceva, E., & Bocchiola, M. (2019). Is whistleblowing a duty?. John Wiley & Sons.
Cho, Y Jik., & Song, H. (2015). Determinants of Whistleblowing within Government Agencies, Public Personnel Management, 44 (4), 450–472. https://doi.org/10.1177/0091026015603206
Culiberg, B., & Mihelič, K. K. (2016). The evolution of whistleblowing studies: A critical review and research agenda. Journal of Business Ethics, 146, 787–803. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-016-3237-0
Devine, T. (2015). International best practices for whistleblower statutes. In D. Lewis & W. Vandekerckhove (Eds.), Developments in whistleblowing research (pp. 7–19). International Whistleblowing Research Network.
Dungan, J., Waytz, A., & Young, L. (2015). The psychology of whistleblowing. Current Opinion in Psychology, 6, 129-133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2015.07.005
Dyck, A., Morse, A., & Zingales, L. (2010). Who blows the whistle on corporate fraud?. The Journal of Finance, 65 (6), 2213–2253. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6261.2010.01614.x
Eisenstadt, L. F., & Pacella, J. M. (2018). Whistleblowers need not apply. American Business Law Journal, 55(4), 665–719. https://doi.org/10.1111/ablj.12131
Farhadinejad, M., & Jafari, S. (2018). Identifying the causes of organizational whistle-blowing and the reasons for unwillingness to whistle-blowing in government organizations. Management of Government Organizations, 8-71. [in Persian]
   Ghasemi, H., Marghani, F., Borujerdi Alavi, M., Emami, H., & Amiri, M. (2011). Analysis of the content of the views of the heads of the physical education organization about the components of sports from 1357 to 1388. Sports Management, 13: 137-152. [in Persian]
Hennequin, E. (2020). What motivates internal whistleblowing? A typology adapted to the French context. European Management Journal, 38(5), 804-813. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2020.03.005
Jackson D., Peters K., Andrew S., Edenborough M., Halcomb E., Luck L., Salamonson, Y., Weaver, R. & Wilkes, L. (2014) Trial and retribution: A qualitative study of whistleblowing and workplace relationships in nursing. Contempt Nurse, 36 (1-2), 34-44. https://doi.org/10.5172/conu.2010.36.1-2.034
Karimi Patanlar, S., & Jafari, A. (2010). The effect of financial corruption on tax revenues, a case study of selected developing countries. Journal of Economic Policy, 8(1), 151-172. [in Persian]
Kenny, K., & Fotaki, M. (2023). The costs and labour of whistleblowing: Bodily vulnerability and post-disclosure survival. Journal of Business Ethics, 182(2), 341-364.
Kohlbacher, F. (2006). The Use of Qualitative Content Analysis in Case Study Research. Forum Qualitative Social Research, 7(1), 1-24.
Krügel, S., & Uhl, M. (2023). Internal whistleblowing systems without proper sanctions may backfire. Journal of Business Economics, 93(8), 1355-1383.
Latan, H., Chiappetta Jabbour, C. J., & Lopes de Sousa Jabbour, A. B. (2019). ‘Whistleblowing triangle’: Framework and empirical evidence. Journal of Business Ethics, 160, 189-204.
Latan, H., Chiappetta Jabbour, C.J. & Lopes de Sousa Jabbour, A.B. (2021). Social Media as a Form of Virtual Whistleblowing: Empirical Evidence for Elements of the Diamond Model. J Bus Ethics 174, 529–548. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-020-04598-y
Lavena, C. F. (2016). Whistle-blowing: Individual and organizational determinants of the decision to report wrongdoing in the federal government. The American Review of Public Administration, 46(1), 113-136.
 Lewis, D. (2021). Stigma and Whistleblowing: Should Punitive Damages be Available in Retaliation Cases? Industrial Law Journal. https://doi.org/10.1093/indlaw/dwaa032
Marwaha, K. (2017). Corporate governance and whistle blowing in India: promises or reality? International Journal of Law and Management. media and online news adoption. New Media Society.7, 357.
Mirzmani, A., Rahmati, M., Yazdani, M. & Moradi, M. (2018). Understanding informal accountability of government managers in inter-organizational networks (case study: Planning and Development Council of Zanjan Province). Public Administration, 11(1). [in Persian]
Nekovee, M., & Pinto, J. (2019). Modeling the impact of organization structure and whistle-blowers on intra-organizational corruption contagion. Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, 522, 339-349.
Neuendorf, N .(2017). The Content Analysis Guidebook sage.
Oelrich, S., & Erlebach, K. (2021). Taking it outside: A study of legal contexts and external whistleblowing in China and India. Asian Journal of Business Ethics, 10(1), 129-151.
Okoro, U. K., & Chineke, T. C. (2021). Whistleblowing on photovoltaic operations in Nigeria: panacea for sustainable development. Bulletin of the National Research Centre, 45, 1-8.
Palumbo, R., & Manna, R. (2019). Uncovering the relationship between whistleblowing and organizational identity. International Journal of Public Sector Management. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPSM-02-2019-0030
Alleyne, P., Haniffa, R., & Hudaib, M. (2016). The construction of a whistle‐blowing protocol for audit organisations: a four‐stage participatory approach. International Journal of Auditing, 20(1), 72-86.
Previtali, P., & Cerchiello, P. (2022). Organizational determinants of whistleblowing. A Study of Italian Municipalities. Public Organization Review, 22(4), 903-918.
Rachagan, S., & Kuppusamy, K. (2013). Encouraging whistle blowing to improve corporate governance? A Malaysian Initiative. Journal of Business Ethics, 115 (2), 367-382. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-012-1402-7
Rafi pour, F. (2009). Social Cancer Corruption. Tehran: Publication Joint Stock Company. (In Persian) Researchers. London: Routledge.
Roghani, M., & Kuroshizadeh, Z. (2018). Investigating the establishment of disclosure system in organizations and its impact on the performance of Bandar Imam Petrochemical, National Congress of Basic Research in Economic Management and Accounting. [in Persian]
Sadabadi, A. A., & Mirzamani, A. (2023). The sustainable development goals and leadership in public sector: a case study of social innovation in the disability sector of Iran. Innovation: The European Journal of Social Science Research, 36(2), 286-300.
Safari, M., & Fattah Ziyarani, M. (2018). Identification, conceptualization and explanation of the process of whistle-blowing in the organization, case study: Goharzamin Iron and Steel Company. Organizational Culture Management, 49(16). [in Persian]
Smaili, N., & Arroyo, P. (2019). Categorization of whistleblowers using the whistleblowing triangle. Journal of Business Ethics, 157, 95-117.
Taiwo, S. (2015). Effects of Whistle Blowing Practices on Organizational Performance in the Nigerian Public Sector: Empirical Facts from selected Local Government in Lagos & Ogun State, Journal of Marketing and Management, 6 (1), 41-61.
Teichmann, F., Falker, MC. (2020). Compliance Incentives, Whistleblowing, and the Payment of Rewards for Information. In: Popkova, E., Sergi, B. (eds) Artificial Intelligence: Anthropogenic Nature vs. Social Origin. ISC Conference - Volgograd 2020. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, 1100. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-39319-9_56
Uygur, S. A., & Napier, C. J. (2024). Understanding fraud in the not-for-profit sector: A stakeholder perspective for charities. Journal of Business Ethics, 190(3), 569-588.
Woods, C.L. (2022). Extinguishing a Fictional Fire: Responding to Emotional and Misinformed Audiences. Corp Reputation Rev 25, 239–252. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41299-021-00125-5
Yadgari, Kh., Amiri, H., & Khanifar, H. (2021). The effect of social conservatism on auditors' whistle-blowing with emphasis on the moderating role of gender and age variables, Danesh Auditing Journal, 21(82). [in Persian]
Yin, R. K. (2009). Case Study Research: Design and Methods. 4th ed. Thousand Oaks.
Zakaria, M. (2015). Antecedent factors of whistleblowing in Organizations, Procedia Economics and Finance, 18, 230 – 234. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2212-5671(15)01104-1
Zaldwebger, K. (1978) Whistle-blowing: a cross-cultural comparison of ethical perceptions of US and Japanese accounting students, American Business Review, 16.2.
Zarandi, S., & Vaezi, R. (2018). The comprehensive model of fighting against administrative corruption based on the local environment. Public Management Research Quarterly, 12(45): 98. [in Persian]

  • Receive Date 22 August 2023
  • Revise Date 02 September 2023
  • Accept Date 23 November 2023