UGBA 192AC: Final Articles

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Below is a description of the changes I've made to three articles: Whistleblower, Anonymous (group), and Tor (anonymity network).

I contributed a total of 33 new sources, 23 of which are from peer-reviewed journals.

Key:

  • Summary is a concise summary of my changes. For more context, refer to the Talk pages (links in the "Response to Peer Review" section below).
  • Before refers to text in the article before I edited it.
  • After refers to my edited changes.
  • New Addition refers to statements that I added to the article, without removing any existing text.
  • Sources are my citations, numbered as they appear in the article mainspaces.

Summary: I edited the last paragraph of the lead section to better represent both sides of the ethical debate on whistleblowing.

Before: "Whistleblowing is truly an entirely ethical decision, and action. In the case of many like Edward Snowden, whistleblowing is seen as the last ethically right thing to do."

After: "Whistleblowing is a topic of ongoing ethical debate. Leading arguments in the ideological camp that whistleblowing is ethical maintain that whistleblowing is a form of civil disobedience, and aims to protect the public from government wrongdoing.[4][5] In the opposite camp, some see whistleblowing as unethical for breaching confidentiality, especially in industries that handle sensitive client or patient information.[6]"

Sources

4. Delmas, Candice. "The Ethics of Government Whistleblowing". Social Theory & Practice. Jan2015, Vol. 41 Issue 1, p77-105. 29p.

5. Alford, C. Fred. "Whistleblowers and the Narrative of Ethics". Journal of Social Philosophy. Winter2001, Vol. 32 Issue 4, p402-418. 17p.

6. Firtko, Angela; Jackson, Debra. "DO THE ENDS JUSTIFY THE MEANS? NURSING AND THE DILEMMA OF WHISTLEBLOWING". Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing. Sep/Nov2005, Vol. 23 Issue 1, p51-56. 6p.

Summary: I edited a statement in the Ethics section (1.10) to remove bias in favor of Snowden. Additionally, the statement as it was falsely confined the discussion to America, and had no supporting evidence nor citations.

Before: "In the case of Edward Snowden many Americans perceive his actions to be ethically and morally right."

After: "The ethics of Edward Snowden's actions have been widely discussed and debated in news media and academia worldwide.[51]"

Sources

51. Friedman, Mark. "EDWARD SNOWDEN: HERO OR TRAITOR? CONSIDERING THE IMPLICATIONS FOR CANADIAN NATIONAL SECURITY AND WHISTLEBLOWER LAW".

Summary: This is strictly an organizational change. The "Legal protection" section, only containing one paragraph, essentially served as an introduction to to the "Consequences of Whistleblowing section." Both sections were focused on the topic of legality. So, I merged the two sections without removing any body text, and titled the new section "Legality of Whistleblowing."

Before: Two sections: "Legal protection" and "Consequences of Whistleblowing"

After: One merged section: "Legality of Whistleblowing"

Summary: I added information about the Espionage Act of 1917 and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act to the "United States" section of "Legality of Whistleblowing" (formerly "Consequences of Whistleblowing"). Both acts are relevant and important pieces of legislation pertaining to whistleblowers - the Espionage Act for prosecuting, and Dodd-Frank for protecting.

New Addition:

The Espionage Act of 1917 has been used to prosecute whistleblowers in the United States including Edward Snowden and Chelsea Manning. In 2013, Manning was convicted of violating the Espionage Act and sentenced to 35 years in prison for leaking sensitive military documents to WikiLeaks.[90] The same year, Snowden was convicted for violating the Espionage Act for releasing confidential documents belonging to the NSA.[91]

Section 922 of the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank) in the United States incentivizes and protects whistleblowers.[92] By Dodd-Frank, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) financially rewards whistleblowers for providing information that results in sanctions of at least $1M.[93][94] Additionally, Dodd-Frank offers job security to whistleblowers by illegalizing termination or discrimination due to whistleblowing.[93][95][96] The whistleblower provision has proven successful; after the enactment of Dodd-Frank, the SEC charged KBR (company) with violating the whistleblower protection Rule 21F-17 by having employees sign confidentiality agreements that threatened repercussions for discussing internal matters with outside parties.[97][98] As of his recent election, President-Elect Donald Trump has announced plans to dismantle Dodd-Frank, which may negatively impact whistleblower protection in the United States.[99]

Sources

90. Madar, Chase. "THE TRIALS OF BRADLEY MANNING". Nation. 8/19/2013, Vol. 297 Issue 7/8, p12-17. 5p.

91. Bamford, James. "Watch Thy Neighbor". Foreign Policy. Mar/Apr2016, Issue 217, p76-79. 3p.

92. "Dodd-Frank Section 922" (PDF). sec.gov.

93. "Dodd-Frank Act Rulemaking: Whistleblower Program". www.sec.gov. Retrieved 2016-10-26.

94. Barthle II, Patrick A. "Whistling Rogues: A Comparative Analysis of the Dodd-Frank Whistleblower Bounty Program". Washington & Lee Law Review. Spring2012, Vol. 69 Issue 2, p1201-1257. 57p.

95. AGARWAL, TAPAS. "ANTI-RETALIATION PROTECTION FOR INTERNAL WHISTLEBLOWERS UNDER DODD-F RANK FOLLOWING THE FIFTH CIRCUIT'S DECISION IN ASADI". St. Mary's Law Journal. Vol. 46 Issue 3, p421-431. 11p.

96. Leifer, Samuel C. "PROTECTING WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTIONS IN THE DODD--FRANK ACT". Michigan Law Review. Oct2014, Vol. 113 Issue 1, p121-149. 29p.

97. "SEC.gov | SEC: Companies Cannot Stifle Whistleblowers in Confidentiality Agreements". www.sec.gov. Retrieved 2016-10-27.

98. Hastings, Kathryn. "Keeping Whistleblowers Quiet: Addressing Employer Agreements To Discourage Whistleblowing". Tulane Law Review. Dec2015, Vol. 90 Issue 2, p495-527. 33p.

99. "Trump Team Promises To 'Dismantle' Dodd-Frank Bank Regulations". NPR.org. Retrieved 2016-11-11.

Summary: I added a statement to emphasize Tor's involvement in whistleblowing.

New Addition: "Tor has undergone a number of large security updates to protect the identities of potential whistleblowers who may wish to anonymously leak information.[102]"

Sources:

102. "Security upgrade for 'anonymity network'". New Scientist. 8/11/2007, Vol. 195 Issue 2616, p23-23. 1p.

Summary: I included a statistic to add support to the statements regarding employer retaliation.

New Addition: "A 2009 study found that up to 38% of whistleblowers experienced professional retaliation in some form, including wrongful termination.[26]"

Sources:

26. Miceli, M. P., Near, J. P., & Dworkin, T. M. (2009). Journal of Business Ethics.

Summary: I created a new section regarding the whistleblowers' motivations for taking action.

New Addition:

Many whistleblowers have stated that they were motivated to take action to put an end to unethical practices, after witnessing injustices in their businesses or organizations.[53] A 2009 study found that whistleblowers are often motivated to take action when they notice a sharp decline in ethical practices, as opposed to a gradual worsening.[54] There are generally two metrics by which whistleblowers determine if a practice is unethical. The first metric involves a violation of the organization's bylaws or written ethical policies. These violations allow individuals to concretize and rationalize blowing the whistle.[55] On the other hand, "value-driven" whistleblowers are influenced by their personal codes of ethics. In these cases, whistleblowers have been criticized for being driven by personal biases.[56]

In addition to ethics, social and organizational pressure are a motivating forces. A 2012 study identified that individuals are more likely to blow the whistle when several others know about the wrongdoing, because they would otherwise fear consequences for keeping silent.[57] In cases when one person is causing an injustice, the individual who notices the injustice may file a formal report, rather than confronting the wrongdoer, because confrontation would be more emotionally and psychologically stressful.[58][59][60] Furthermore, individuals may be motivated to report unethical behavior when they believe their organizations will support them.[61] Professionals in management roles may feel responsibility to blow the whistle in order to uphold the values and rules of their organizations.[62]

Sources:

53. Rice, Alexander J. "Using Scholarship on Whistleblowing to Inform Peer Ethics Reporting". Professional Psychology: Research & Practice. Aug2015, Vol. 46 Issue 4: p298–305. 8p.

54. Gino, F., & Bazerman, M. H. (2009). When misconduct goes unnoticed: The acceptability of gradual erosion in others' unethical behavior. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 45(4), 708-719.

55. Kaptein, Muel (2011). "From Inaction to External Whistleblowing: The Influence of the Ethical Culture of Organizations on Employee Responses to Observed Wrongdoing". Journal of Business Ethics. 98: 513.

56. Keenan, J. P., & McLain, D. A. (1992). Whistleblowing: A conceptualization and model. In Wall, J. L., & Jauch, K. R. (Eds.), Academy of Management Best Papers Proceedings, August 10–12, Las Vegas, NV, 350–352.

57. Robinson, S. N., Robertson, J. C., & Curtis, M. B. "The Effects of Contextual and Wrongdoing Attributes on Organizational Employees' Whistleblowing Intentions Following Fraud." Journal of Business Ethics. 2012.

58. de Graaf, Gjalt (2010). "Managing Conflicting Public Values: Governing With Integrity and Effectiveness". The American Review of Public Administration.

59. King III, Granville; Hermodson, Amy. "Peer reporting of coworker wrongdoing: A qualitative analysis of observer attitudes in the decision to report versus not report unethical behavior". Journal of Applied Communication Research. Vol. 28 (2000), Issue 4: 309–329.

60. Trevino, Linda Klebe; Victor, Bart. "Peer Reporting of Unethical Behavior: A Social Context Perspective". The Academy of Management Journal. Vol. 35, No. 1 (Mar., 1992): pp. 38–64.

61. Gundlach, Michael J.; Douglas, Scott C.; Martinko, Mark J. "The Decision to Blow the Whistle: A Social Information Processing Framework". The Academy of Management Review. Vol. 28, No. 1 (Jan., 2003).: pp. 107–123.

62. Loyens, Kim (1997). "Why police officers and labour inspectors (do not) blow the whistle: A grid group cultural theory perspective". Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management.

Summary: I added information about #OpPedoChat to the History: 2011-2012 section.

New Addition:

"Anonymous launched the #OpPedoChat campaign on Twitter in 2012 as a continuation of Operation Darknet. In attempt to eliminate child pornography from the internet, the group posted the emails and IP addresses of suspected pedophiles on the online forum PasteBin.[98][99]"

Sources:

98. "Anonymous Targets Pedophiles Via #OpPedoChat Campaign". PCMAG. Retrieved 2016-10-28.

99. Steadman, Ian. "Anonymous launches #OpPedoChat, targets paedophiles". WIRED UK. Retrieved 2016-10-28.

Summary: I created a new section to describe Anonymous' influence on the popular TV show Mr. Robot. I titled the section "Media Portrayal" to encourage editors to contribute information about the portrayal of Anonymous; the conversation need not be limited to Mr. Robot.

New Addition:

"Sam Esmail, the creator of the USA Network show Mr. Robot (TV series), said in an interview with Motherboard that he was inspired by Anonymous when creating the hacktivist drama.[218] Furthermore, Wired calls the "Omegas", a fictitious hacker group in the show, "a clear reference to the Anonymous offshoot known as LulzSec."[219] A member of Anonymous called Mr. Robot "the most accurate portrayal of security and hacking culture ever to grace the screen."[220]"

Sources:

218. "The Creator of 'Mr. Robot' Explains Its Hacktivist and Cult Roots". Motherboard. Retrieved 2016-10-28.

219. Zetter, Kim. "Mr. Robot Is the Best Hacking Show Yet—But It's Not Perfect". WIRED. Retrieved 2016-10-28.

220. "Why USA Network's 'Mr. Robot' Is The Most Realistic Depiction Of Hacking On Television". International Business Times. 2015-07-22. Retrieved 2016-10-28.

Summary: I added new information to the section about Tor's government, NGO, and private funders.

Before:

As of 2012, 80% of The Tor Project's $2M annual budget came from the United States government, with the U.S. State Department, the Broadcasting Board of Governors, and the National Science Foundation as major contributors,[155] "to aid democracy advocates in authoritarian states".[14] The Swedish government and other organizations provided the other 20%, including NGOs and thousands of individual sponsors.[29][156] 

After:

As of 2012, 80% of The Tor Project's $2M annual budget came from the United States government, with the U.S. State Department, the Broadcasting Board of Governors, and the National Science Foundation as major contributors,[155] aiming "to aid democracy advocates in authoritarian states".[14] Other public source of funding include DARPA, the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, and the Government of Sweden.[29][156] Some have proposed that the government values Tor's commitment to free speech, and uses the darknet to gather intelligence.[157] Tor also receives funding from NGOs including Human Rights Watch, and private sponsors including Reddit and Google.[158]

Sources:

157. Moore, Daniel; Rid, Thomas. "Cryptopolitik and the Darknet". Survival. Feb2016, Vol. 58 Issue 1, p7-38. 32p.

158. Inc., The Tor Project,. "Tor: Sponsors". www.torproject.org. Retrieved 2016-10-28.

UGBA 192AC: Response to Peer Review

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I received feedback from Angela that my drafts read more like a proposal than a concrete plan for editing the articles. @Angela, @David: see email thread for full conversation. In response, I drafted specific addition and revisions on the talk pages of the articles I plan to edit. Below is a list of my contributions.

UGBA 192AC: Initial Draft

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My group is studying online anonymity, especially as it pertains to whistleblowing. I plan to edit the following articles:

Ethics

Parts of the article exhibit an ethical bias in favor of whistleblowing. Take, for instance, the following statement from the lead section: "Whistleblowing is truly an entirely ethical decision, and action. In the case of many like Edward Snowden, whistleblowing is seen as the last ethically right thing to do." This is a bold claim with no supporting evidence and no citations. I plan to rewrite this statement to reflect that whistleblowing is a topic of ethical debate, for which there is no objective right or wrong. A leading argument in the ideological camp that whistleblowing is ethical states that whistleblowing is a form of civil disobedience, and aims to protect the public from government wrongdoing.[1][2] In the opposite camp, some see whistleblowing as unethical for breaching confidentiality, especially in industries that handle sensitive client or patient information.[3]

I also plan to rewrite the following statement in the Whistleblower#Ethics section: "In the case of Edward Snowden many Americans perceive his actions to be ethically and morally right." The statement is biased in favor of Edward Snowden, and again, there is no supporting evidence nor citations. Furthermore, the question of Snowden's ethics is an ongoing global conversation, not confined to America.[4]

Legal Protection

The Legal protection section provides little information, while the Whistleblower#Consequences of Whistleblowing section provides an in-depth description of the legality of whistleblowing by country, I propose that the "Legal protection" section be merged with the introduction of the "Consequences" section. As the "Consequences" section discusses both legal protection and repercussions, I propose it be renamed to "Legality of Whistleblowing."

Dodd-Frank Act

The current article fails to mention the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank), which incentivizes and protects whistleblowers. By Dodd-Frank, the SEC financially rewards whistleblowers for providing information that results in sanctions of at least $1M.[5][6] Additionally, Dodd-Frank offers job security to whistleblowers by illegalizing termination or discrimination due to the whistleblowing.[5][7][8] After the enactment of Dodd-Frank, the SEC charged KBR (company) with violating the whistleblower protection Rule 21F-17 by having employees sign confidentiality agreements that threatened repurcussions for discussing internal matters with outside parties.[9][10]

WikiLeaks

The current article doesn't mention WikiLeaks or Chelsea Manning. I think a short description of Chelsea Manning's story would fit into the Whistleblower#Public sector whistleblowing section. Many peer-reviewed papers on whistleblowing evaluate Chelsea Manning, along with Edward Snowden, as a controversial whistleblower. In 2013, Chelsea Manning was convicted of violating the Espionage Act of 1917 and sentenced to 35 years in prison for leaking sensitive military documents to WikiLeaks.[11] The same year, Snowden was convicted for violating the same act (the Espionage Act) for blowing the whistle on the NSA.[12]

Tor

The Whistleblower#Modern methods used for whistleblower protection section should be expanded to emphasize the use of whistleblowers' use of Tor and other darknet browsers to anonymously leak information. Tor has undergone a number of large security updates to protect the identities of potential whistleblowers.[13]

#OpPedoChat

I propose adding a subsection titled "#OpPedoChat" to Anonymous (group)#History: 2011-2012. Anonymous launched the #OpPedoChat in 2012 in attempt to eliminate child pornography from the internet. The group posted the emails and IP addresses of suspected pedophiles on the online forum PasteBin.[14][15]

Mr. Robot

A member of Anonymous called the USA Network show Mr. Robot (TV series) "the most accurate portrayal of security and hacking culture ever to grace the screen."[16] Sam Esmail, the creator of Mr. Robot, said in an interview with Motherboard that he was inspired by Anonymous when creating the hacktivist drama.[17] Wired calls the Omegas, a hacker group in the show, "a clear reference to the Anonymous offshoot known as LulzSec."[18]

I propose expanding the Tor (anonymity network)#Reception, impact, and legislation section. Tor has received funding from U.S. government agencies including the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor; the National Science Foundation; the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory; and DARPA. Some have proposed that the government values Tor's commitment to free speech, and uses the darknet to gather intelligence.[19] Private sponsors include Reddit, Google, and Human Rights Watch.[20]

Additional Sources

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I'm putting them here so they don't mess up the order of the other sources.

[21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33]

  1. ^ Delmas, Candice. "The Ethics of Government Whistleblowing". Social Theory & Practice. Jan2015, Vol. 41 Issue 1, p77-105. 29p.
  2. ^ Alford, C. Fred. "Whistleblowers and the Narrative of Ethics". Journal of Social Philosophy. Winter2001, Vol. 32 Issue 4, p402-418. 17p.
  3. ^ Firtko, Angela; Jackson, Debra. "DO THE ENDS JUSTIFY THE MEANS? NURSING AND THE DILEMMA OF WHISTLEBLOWING". Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing. Sep/Nov2005, Vol. 23 Issue 1, p51-56. 6p.
  4. ^ Friedman, Mark. "EDWARD SNOWDEN: HERO OR TRAITOR? CONSIDERING THE IMPLICATIONS FOR CANADIAN NATIONAL SECURITY AND WHISTLEBLOWER LAW". Dalhousie Journal of Legal Studies. Spring2015, Vol. 24, p1-23. 23p.
  5. ^ a b "Dodd-Frank Act Rulemaking: Whistleblower Program". www.sec.gov. Retrieved 2016-10-26.
  6. ^ Barthle II, Patrick A. "Whistling Rogues: A Comparative Analysis of the Dodd-Frank Whistleblower Bounty Program". Washington & Lee Law Review. Spring2012, Vol. 69 Issue 2, p1201-1257. 57p.
  7. ^ AGARWAL, TAPAS. "ANTI-RETALIATION PROTECTION FOR INTERNAL WHISTLEBLOWERS UNDER DODD-F RANK FOLLOWING THE FIFTH CIRCUIT'S DECISION IN ASADI". St. Mary's Law Journal. Vol. 46 Issue 3, p421-431. 11p. {{cite journal}}: |volume= has extra text (help)
  8. ^ Leifer, Samuel C. "PROTECTING WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTIONS IN THE DODD--FRANK ACT". Michigan Law Review. Oct2014, Vol. 113 Issue 1, p121-149. 29p.
  9. ^ "SEC.gov | SEC: Companies Cannot Stifle Whistleblowers in Confidentiality Agreements". www.sec.gov. Retrieved 2016-10-27.
  10. ^ Hastings, Kathryn. "Keeping Whistleblowers Quiet: Addressing Employer Agreements To Discourage Whistleblowing". Tulane Law Review. Dec2015, Vol. 90 Issue 2, p495-527. 33p.
  11. ^ Madar, Chase. "THE TRIALS OF BRADLEY MANNING". Nation. 8/19/2013, Vol. 297 Issue 7/8, p12-17. 5p.
  12. ^ Bamford, James. "Watch Thy Neighbor". Foreign Policy. Mar/Apr2016, Issue 217, p76-79. 3p.
  13. ^ "Security upgrade for 'anonymity network'". New Scientist. 8/11/2007, Vol. 195 Issue 2616, p23-23. 1p.
  14. ^ Steadman, Ian. "Anonymous launches #OpPedoChat, targets paedophiles". WIRED UK. Retrieved 2016-10-28.
  15. ^ "Anonymous Targets Pedophiles Via #OpPedoChat Campaign". PCMAG. Retrieved 2016-10-28.
  16. ^ "Why USA Network's 'Mr. Robot' Is The Most Realistic Depiction Of Hacking On Television". International Business Times. 2015-07-22. Retrieved 2016-10-28.
  17. ^ "The Creator of 'Mr. Robot' Explains Its Hacktivist and Cult Roots". Motherboard. Retrieved 2016-10-28.
  18. ^ Zetter, Kim. "Mr. Robot Is the Best Hacking Show Yet—But It's Not Perfect". WIRED. Retrieved 2016-10-28.
  19. ^ Moore, Daniel; Rid, Thomas. "Cryptopolitik and the Darknet". Survival. Feb2016, Vol. 58 Issue 1, p7-38. 32p.
  20. ^ Inc., The Tor Project,. "Tor: Sponsors". www.torproject.org. Retrieved 2016-10-28. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  21. ^ "Dodd-Frank Section 922" (PDF). sec.gov.
  22. ^ "Trump Team Promises To 'Dismantle' Dodd-Frank Bank Regulations". NPR.org. Retrieved 2016-11-11.
  23. ^ Miceli, M. P.,  Near, J. P., &  Dworkin, T. M.  (2009). Journal of Business Ethics. 
  24. ^ Rice, Alexander J. "Using Scholarship on Whistleblowing to Inform Peer Ethics Reporting". Professional Psychology: Research & Practice. Aug2015, Vol. 46 Issue 4: p298-305. 8p. {{cite journal}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
  25. ^ Robinson, S. N.,  Robertson, J. C., &  Curtis, M. B. "The Effects of Contextual and Wrongdoing Attributes on Organizational Employees' Whistleblowing Intentions Following Fraud." Journal of Business Ethics. 2012. 
  26. ^ Gino, F., & Bazerman, M. H. (2009). When misconduct goes unnoticed: The acceptability of gradual erosion in others' unethical behavior. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 45(4), 708-719. 
  27. ^ Keenan, J. P., & McLain, D. A. (1992). Whistleblowing: A conceptualization and model. In Wall, J. L., & Jauch, K. R. (Eds.), Academy of Management Best Papers Proceedings, August 10–12, Las Vegas, NV, 350–352. 
  28. ^ Kaptein, Muel (2011). "From Inaction to External Whistleblowing: The Influence of the Ethical Culture of Organizations on Employee Responses to Observed Wrongdoing". Journal of Business Ethics. 98: 513.
  29. ^ Gundlach, Michael J.; Douglas, Scott C.; Martinko, Mark J. "The Decision to Blow the Whistle: A Social Information Processing Framework". The Academy of Management Review. Vol. 28, No. 1 (Jan., 2003).: pp. 107-123. {{cite journal}}: |pages= has extra text (help); |volume= has extra text (help)
  30. ^ Loyens, Kim (1997). "Why police officers and labour inspectors (do not) blow the whistle: A grid group cultural theory perspective". Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management.
  31. ^ de Graaf, Gjalt (2010). "Managing Conflicting Public Values: Governing With Integrity and Effectiveness". The American Review of Public Administration.
  32. ^ King III, Granville; Hermodson, Amy. "Peer reporting of coworker wrongdoing: A qualitative analysis of observer attitudes in the decision to report versus not report unethical behavior". Journal of Applied Communication Research. Vol. 28 (2000), Issue 4: 309–329. {{cite journal}}: |volume= has extra text (help)
  33. ^ Trevino, Linda Klebe; Victor, Bart. "Peer Reporting of Unethical Behavior: A Social Context Perspective". The Academy of Management Journal. Vol. 35, No. 1 (Mar., 1992): pp. 38-64. {{cite journal}}: |pages= has extra text (help); |volume= has extra text (help)