This article presents a network perspective on whistleblowing. It considers how whistleblowing affects, and is affected by, the preexisting distribution of power inside and outside an organization, where power is conceptualized as deriving from the network positions of the key actors. The article also highlights four characteristic features of whistleblowing: third‐party detriment, local subversion, appeal to central or external power, and reasonable expectation of concern. The feature of local subversion succinctly explains why whistleblowing is difficult. The feature of appeal to central or external power highlights that contrary to the perception of a democratizing phenomenon, whistleblowing tends to redistribute discretion away from local power toward more central power. This suggests a need for caution about institutional measures to promote whistleblowing in contexts where governance is already highly centralized.

中文翻译：

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举报和权力：网络视角

本文介绍了网络举报的观点。它考虑了举报是如何影响和受到组织内部和外部权力的预先存在的分配的，在组织内部，权力被概念化为源自关键角色的网络位置。本文还重点介绍了举报的四个特征：第三方损害，局部颠覆，诉求中央或外部权力以及合理的关注期望。局部颠覆的特征简洁地解释了为什么举报困难。诉诸中央或外部权力的特征凸显出，与人们对民主现象的认识相反，举报倾向于将自由裁量权从地方权力重新分配给更多中央权力。