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Frontiers in Sports and Active LivingVolume 6, 2024, Article number 1335258

Qualitative analysis of the factors associated with whistleblowing intentions among athletes from six European countries(Article)(Open Access)

  • Toner, J.,
  • Jones, L.,
  • Fairs, L.,
  • Mantis, C.,
  • Barkoukis, V.,
  • Daroglou, G.,
  • Perry, J.L.,
  • Micle, A.V.,
  • Theodorou, N.C.,
  • Shakhverdieva, S.,
  • Stoicescu, M.,
  • Pompiliu-Nicolae, C.,
  • Vesic, M.V.,
  • Dikic, N.,
  • Andjelkovic, M.,
  • Revilla, J.M.-G.,
  • García-Grimau, E.,
  • Martínez, M.A.E.,
  • Amigo, J.A.,
  • Schomöller, A.,
  • Nicholls, A.R.
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  • aSchool of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Hull, Hull, United Kingdom
  • bDepartment for Health, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
  • cSchool of Social Sciences, Humanities & Law, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, United Kingdom
  • dDepartment of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
  • eDepartment of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
  • fRomanian National Anti-Doping Agency, Bucharest, Romania
  • gIndependent Researcher, Athens, Greece
  • hFaculty of Physical Education and Sport, National University of Physical Education and Sport, Bucharest, Romania
  • iAnti-doping Agency of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia
  • jSports Medicine Associations of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia
  • kComisión Española para la Lucha Antidopaje en el Deporte (CELAD), Spain
  • lInternational Council of Sport Science and Physical Education, Berlin, Germany

Abstract

Although whistleblowing is thought to represent an effective mechanism for detecting and uncovering doping in sport, it has yet to become a widely adopted practice. Understanding the factors that encourage or discourage whistleblowing is of vital importance for the promotion of this practice and the development of pedagogical material to enhance the likelihood of whistleblowing. The current study employed a qualitative methodology to explore the personal and organisational factors that underpin intentions to blow the whistle or that may lead to engagement in whistleblowing behaviours in sport. Thirty-three competitive athletes across a range of sports took part in a semi-structured interview which sought to explore what they would do should they encounter a doping scenario. Content analysis revealed that whistleblowing is a dynamic process characterised by the interaction of a range of personal and organisational factors in determining the intention to report PED use. These factors included moral reasoning, a desire to keep the matter “in-house”, perceived personal costs, institutional attitudes to doping, and social support. Analysis revealed a number of “intervening events”, including a perceived lack of organisational protection (e.g., ethical leadership) within some sporting sub-cultures, which present an important obstacle to whistleblowing. The intention to report doping was underpinned by a “fairness-loyalty trade-off” which involved athletes choosing to adhere to either fairness norms (which relate to a sense that all people and groups are treated equally) or loyalty norms (which reflect preferential treatment towards an in-group) when deciding whether they would blow the whistle. The promotion of fairness norms that emphasise a group's collective interests might encourage athletes to view whistleblowing as a means of increasing group cohesiveness and effectiveness and thereby increase the likelihood of this practice. 2024 Toner, Jones, Fairs, Mantis, Barkoukis, Daroglou, Perry, Micle, Theodorou, Shakhverdieva, Stoicescu, Pompiliu-Nicolae, Vesic, Dikic, Andjelkovic, Revilla, García-Grimau, Martínez, Amigo, Schomöller and Nicholls.

Author keywords

dopingfairness normsintervening eventsloyalty normswhistleblower

Funding details

Funding sponsor Funding number Acronym
European Commission
See opportunities by EC
612968-EPP-1-2019-1-UKSPO-SCPEC
European Commission
See opportunities by EC
EC
  • 1

    The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This study was funded by the European Commission's Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency [Unit A.6, Erasmus +: Sport, Youth and EU AidVolunteers]. Project title: Understanding and promoting whistleblowing on doping irregularities in the EU (Win-Dop). Project reference number: 612968-EPP-1-2019-1-UKSPO-SCP.

  • ISSN: 26249367
  • Source Type: Journal
  • Original language: English
  • DOI: 10.3389/fspor.2024.1335258
  • Document Type: Article
  • Publisher: Frontiers Media SA

  Toner, J.; School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Hull, Hull, United Kingdom;
© Copyright 2024 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

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