A growing number of companies in Asia Pacific (APAC) are implementing whistleblower strategies, part of a larger trend in curbing unethical conduct. A new survey from Deloitte underscores the importance of ethical transformation for APAC business leaders.

The study by Deloitte found that an impressive 91% of Asia Pacific organizations have already implemented whistleblowing programs in 2024, which is up from 87% in 2023. A majority of respondents (66%) said that they believe whistleblowing policies are high priority, also up slightly from last year.

The ramp up in focus comes as governments around the world are making efforts to beef up their regulations and enforcement on whistleblowing. Corporate fraud and corruption at the highest levels can cause enormous financial losses and reputational damage – something that regulators are clearly keen on avoiding.

That is why some governments are working to protect whistleblowers, who are considered the first line of defense against white-collar crime. With rules already on the books, Hong Kong, Japan, and Mainland China have been leading the way in Asia when it comes to regulatory protection of whistleblowers.

Interestingly, the survey shows a noticeable shift towards addressing a broader range of ethical issues such as bullying, harassment, and conflicts of interest, while reports of more ‘classic’ white-collar crimes like fraud and bribery have declined.

This could be part of the wider adoption of ESG initiatives, which are...

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