Whistleblowers often experience retaliation. Speaking up is risky, especially in sectors with implicit rules to keep silent when colleagues behave unethically. Whistleblower protection legislation is one way to reduce these risks, but it requires whistleblowers to undergo years of judicial procedures that cannot prevent harm from being done. More efforts are needed within organizations to create speak-up cultures in which employees feel safe to voice concerns and leaders are willing to not only emphasize moral rules but also to live by them.

Whistleblowing necessitates independent inquiry. In recent years, there has been an increasing reliance on law firms to conduct such investigations. The extant tension between partiality and independence, both integral to the ethical codes and professional role of attorneys, has been a subject of considerable debate. An additional quandary revolves around the issue of legal privilege in the context of independent investigations conducted by attorneys.

A healthy organizational culture is one of the strongest drivers of an organization's success. However, many initiatives to change an organizational culture, to really embed the desired developments permanently in the organization, fail or at least do not deliver the desired outcomes. Several pitfalls can result in failures or lack of effectiveness. Based on a team development approach that is already applied extensively in practice, we introduce a systemic approach at team level. This approach enables organizations to uncover hidden patterns and dynamics in the organization. And to consciously change these patterns incrementally for the better in case these patterns hamper an organization's success. This article provides a new perspective for strengthening organizational culture to compliance professionals.