Did Watkins owe an ethical duty to Enron, to its shareholders, or to the investing public to go public with her suspicions? Explain your answer. How big a price is it fair to ask a whistleblowing employee to pay?

Cases from the Real World

Read: Cases from the Real World, page 222. (Access free at https://openstax.org/books/business-ethics/pages/7-5-criticism-of-the-company-and-whistleblowing)

Sherron Watkins and Enron

Reflection Questions
What would you have done if you were in Sherron’s position?
What factors would contribute to your decision?
How would you weigh the consequences of your decision?
What effect would your decision have on key stakeholders?
Critical Thinking
Did Watkins owe an ethical duty to Enron, to its shareholders, or to the investing public to go public with her suspicions? Explain your answer.
How big a price is it fair to ask a whistle blowing employee to pay?