Factors influencing whistle-blowing in South African local government

Whistle blowing can be considered a key tool for fighting corruption, encouraging good governance, accountability and transparency in the public sector. Our main research objective was to gain a better sense of variables influencing employees' intentions to blow the whistle within South African local government. A survey document was sent to South African local governments. Respondents were required to indicate their opinions on a five point lickert scale. Principal component Factor analysis was applied to the data. The findings are consistent with previous research into whistle blowing. The need to blow the whistle is reduced if an organization's control system is seen to have integrity and is perceived as a deterrent against maleficent behaviours.