Canadian Sponsorship Scandal: The Whistleblower's Perspective
Case number : 9 100 2014 002
Case published in the International Journal of Case Studies in Management, Vol. 12, No. 2
Date :
2014-04-01
Teaching notes included :
Yes
Abstract
This case is about the Sponsorship Scandal that plagued Canada’s federal government in the mid-1990s. The case is told in the words of the federal government bureaucrat who blew the whistle about the corruption. The way federal civil servants dealt with the whistleblower’s revelations is examined.
Teaching objectives
Upon completing this case, students should be able to:
- Explain the personal issues faced by a whistleblower and possible actions;
- Explain the issues of whistleblowing in organizations and their implications;
- Understand some practical issues regarding the procurement process and approval;
- Recognize some difficulties concerning the concepts of accountability, whistleblowing and whistleblower;
- Recognize the difficulties of organizational practices in a hostile context.
Primary domain :
Business ethics
- Governance
Secondary domain :
Management
Sectors :
Public administration
Type :
Traditional case (Descriptive or analytical case)
Event location :
Ottawa, Canada
Year of start of the event :
1994
Year the event ended :
2004
Business size :
government agency