Establishing the relative and cumulative impact of psychological factors on whistleblowing in South Africa

Abstract

Whistleblowing is a critical mechanism for promoting accountability and ethical conduct in organisations. In South Africa, however, whistleblowing remains underutilised despite the widespread availability of formal reporting systems. This study examines the psychological factors that shape employees’ intentions to report wrongdoing. It focuses on moral courage, referent support, and confidence in anonymity. The study is grounded in a Theory of Planned Behaviour framework. A quantitative research design was adopted. Survey data were obtained from 470 valid responses collected from employees across multiple organisations. Covariance‑based structural equation modelling was used to analyse the data. The findings show that perceived referent support is the strongest predictor of whistleblowing intention. Moral courage also exerts a significant influence, although its effect is secondary to social endorsement. Confidence in anonymity does not emerge as an independent driver of intention. Instead, it operates as a contextual condition that shapes how whistleblowing is enacted rather than whether it occurs. These results challenge linear and additive assumptions embedded in dominant whistleblowing models, particularly those that emphasise formal anonymity provisions. They demonstrate that moral conviction and social endorsement must align for procedural safeguards to be effective. Whistleblowing intention follows a threshold‑based and configurational logic. Intention is most likely to emerge when moral conviction and social legitimacy are jointly present at sufficient levels. This study contributes to whistleblowing theory by demonstrating the primacy of social and moral factors over formal mechanisms. It also offers practical insights for organisations operating in high‑risk contexts. Strengthening ethical leadership and cultivating supportive organisational climates may be more effective than investing solely in reporting systems.