Barreiras e facilitadores da intenção de denunciar a corrupção no setor público

Abstract

Whistleblowing on corruption in the public sector is essential to strengthening institutional integrity and curbing illicit practices, yet it faces both institutional and individual barriers. Against this backdrop, the present dissertation—comprising two independent articles—aimed to investigate the barriers and enablers that shape the intention to report corruption in the Brazilian public sector. The first study conducted a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) on barriers and enablers of whistleblowing in public organizations. The review highlighted the obstacles public servants encounter when considering reporting misconduct, including retaliation, lack of information, and contextual challenges. Although some enablers were identified, such as organizational structures that foster transparency and protection, barriers remain predominant, underscoring the urgent need for effective policies to encourage whistleblowing. The second study carried out an Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) of the Brazilian-adapted version of the Whistleblowing Intention Scale, along with correlation and ANOVA tests to identify individual-level barriers and enablers. The translated and adapted version demonstrated sound psychometric properties, with satisfactory reliability (above 0.70) across all factors. Validity evidence revealed three underlying factors: ethical–legal considerations; success and loyalty; and power and social influences. Moreover, correlation and ANOVA tests indicated that older age, longer tenure, being male, and holding managerial positions were associated with lower whistleblowing intention, thus functioning as individual- level barriers to reporting corruption. Taken together, the two studies emphasize the importance of examining barriers and enablers to whistleblowing, as these factors directly shape public servants’ willingness to report irregularities.