--- title: Are platforms for whistleblowers necessary in the age of complex adaptive systems? description: Explore the necessity of whistleblower platforms in fostering ethical behavior within complex adaptive systems and the importance of stakeholder voices in organizations. image: https://ethicontrol.com/hubfs/Blog/Featured%20images/a%20platform%20for%20whistleblowers%20in%20a%20complex%20adaptive%20system%2c%20encouraging%20ethical%20behavior%20and%20trust%201%20%281%29.webp --- ” [Skip to content](https://ethicontrol.com/en/blog/chy-potribni-platformy-dlia-vykryvachiv-v-dobu-adaptyvnykh-system-en#main-content) [![Ethicontrol Vector Logo 2016](https://ethicontrol.com/hubfs/Ethicontrol%20Vector%20Logo%202016.svg)](https://ethicontrol.com/en/main?hsLang=en) - Features Show submenu for Features - [Internal reporting channels](https://ethicontrol.com/en/features/internal-reporting-channels) - [Toll free lines](https://ethicontrol.com/en/features/specialised-contact-center) - [Incident management](https://ethicontrol.com/en/features/incident-management) - [Case management](https://ethicontrol.com/en/features/case-management) - [Analytics and reporting](https://ethicontrol.com/en/features/analytics-and-reporting) - Use cases Show submenu for Use cases - [Ethics & Compliance](https://ethicontrol.com/en/main) - [EU Whistleblowing Directive](https://ethicontrol.com/en/eu-whistleblowing-directive-platform) - [Antifraud and Corporate security](https://ethicontrol.com/en/painless-security-platform) - [On premise (inhouse)](https://ethicontrol.com/en/blog/korobkove-rishennia-ethibox) - [Compliance matrix](https://ethicontrol.com/en/compliance-matrix) - [Clients' Cases](https://ethicontrol.com/en/case-studies) - [Pricing](https://ethicontrol.com/en/pricing) - [Blog](https://ethicontrol.com/en/blog) - Company Show submenu for Company - [About us](https://ethicontrol.com/en/about-us) - [Contacts](https://ethicontrol.com/en/contacts) - [Services](https://ethicontrol.com/en/services) - [Security and trust](https://ethicontrol.com/en/trust-center) - [Our methodology](https://ethicontrol.com/en/painless-ethics-management-methodology) - [Whistleblowing FAQ](https://ethicontrol.com/en/faq) - [We hire!](https://ethicontrol.com/en/join-us) - [Customer support portal](https://help.ethicontrol.com/en/support/home) - Features Show submenu for Features - [Internal reporting channels](https://ethicontrol.com/en/features/internal-reporting-channels) - [Toll free lines](https://ethicontrol.com/en/features/specialised-contact-center) - [Incident management](https://ethicontrol.com/en/features/incident-management) - [Case management](https://ethicontrol.com/en/features/case-management) - [Analytics and reporting](https://ethicontrol.com/en/features/analytics-and-reporting) - Use cases Show submenu for Use cases - [Ethics & Compliance](https://ethicontrol.com/en/main) - [EU Whistleblowing Directive](https://ethicontrol.com/en/eu-whistleblowing-directive-platform) - [Antifraud and Corporate security](https://ethicontrol.com/en/painless-security-platform) - [On premise (inhouse)](https://ethicontrol.com/en/blog/korobkove-rishennia-ethibox) - [Compliance matrix](https://ethicontrol.com/en/compliance-matrix) - [Clients' Cases](https://ethicontrol.com/en/case-studies) - [Pricing](https://ethicontrol.com/en/pricing) - [Blog](https://ethicontrol.com/en/blog) - Company Show submenu for Company - [About us](https://ethicontrol.com/en/about-us) - [Contacts](https://ethicontrol.com/en/contacts) - [Services](https://ethicontrol.com/en/services) - [Security and trust](https://ethicontrol.com/en/trust-center) - [Our methodology](https://ethicontrol.com/en/painless-ethics-management-methodology) - [Whistleblowing FAQ](https://ethicontrol.com/en/faq) - [We hire!](https://ethicontrol.com/en/join-us) - [Customer support portal](https://help.ethicontrol.com/en/support/home) ![Burger](https://ethicontrol.com/hubfs/Burger.svg) ![Cross](https://ethicontrol.com/hubfs/Cross.svg) Search English - [English](https://ethicontrol.com/en/blog/chy-potribni-platformy-dlia-vykryvachiv-v-dobu-adaptyvnykh-system-en) - [Español](https://ethicontrol.com/es/blog/chy-potribni-platformy-dlia-vykryvachiv-v-dobu-adaptyvnykh-system-es) - [Polski](https://ethicontrol.com/pl/blog/zlozone-systemy-adaptacyjne-i-whistleblowing) - [Українська](https://ethicontrol.com/uk/blog/chy-potribni-platformy-dlia-vykryvachiv-v-dobu-adaptyvnykh-system) [Demo](https://ethicontrol.com/meetings/ectrl1/demo?hsLang=en) [Home](https://ethicontrol.com/en/main?hsLang=en)  / [Ethics Control Blog](https://ethicontrol.com/en/blog) [Whistleblowing](https://ethicontrol.com/en/blog/tag/whistleblowing) # Are platforms for whistleblowers necessary in the age of complex adaptive systems? [Oleg Boyko,](https://ethicontrol.com/en/blog/author/oleg-boyko) 10 July 2024 Whistleblower portals are an important tool for encouraging ethical behavior and ensuring compliance with legal and ethical requirements. They provide a confidential channel for reporting suspicious activity, unethical behavior, or violations of your organization’s policies. When tailored to specific needs and contexts, such platforms are essential for fostering a culture of openness, accountability, and trust within organizations. This culture is crucial to an organization’s long-term success in the age of complex systems.   ## What are complex systems? [In the previous article](https://ethicontrol.com/uk/blog/komplaiens-i-chetverta-promyslova-revoliutsiia?hsLang=en), we examined complex systems, their impact on risk management—particularly compliance risks—and how a whistleblower portal can help in this regard. In this article, we will continue to explore this topic. But first, let’s explain what we mean by “complex systems.” There are many definitions, but they all point to one thing: a complex system is one that consists of many other systems that interact with one another. As a result, the whole—the complex system itself—acquires properties and behaviors that cannot be predicted based on an analysis of the smaller systems.  ![люди стоять у різних місцях і з'єднані один з одним лініями](https://ethicontrol.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog/Blog%20images/people%20standing%20in%20different%20places%20and%20connected%20with%20each%20other%20by%20lines.webp?width=350&height=320&name=people%20standing%20in%20different%20places%20and%20connected%20with%20each%20other%20by%20lines.webp) When it comes to compliance, we are particularly interested in complex adaptive systems. Examples of such systems include society, government, all offices, organizations, companies, departments within companies, political parties, clubs, associations—and many others—that are created by people, involve people, and consist of people, including even families. Most importantly, these systems are open; they adapt their structures and behavior in response to changes in their environment, and this can trigger major changes throughout the entire system. Of course, companies and enterprises are indeed complex systems. They are also components of larger systems, all the way up to society as a whole. Typically, norms, standards, and conceptual frameworks show how to deal with such organizational complexity: by analyzing internal and external environments and identifying internal and external stakeholders. We must then evaluate the stakeholders and select those who have a significant influence on our organization. And herein lies the flaw in the old approach, which stems from the mechanistic idealism of the industrial era: the neglect of “minor” stakeholders.   ## Stakeholders as Drivers of Change ![Люди піднімаються на гору з прапором](https://ethicontrol.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog/Blog%20images/People%20climbing%20a%20mountain%20holding%20a%20flag.webp?width=850&height=392&name=People%20climbing%20a%20mountain%20holding%20a%20flag.webp) According to the definition in the GRC Capability Model: a stakeholder is a self-legitimized individual, group, or other entity that is directly or indirectly involved in an organization’s activities by virtue of its actual or perceived influence (translated from the author’s English). The key entity here is the “self-legitimized” individual. This means that no one authorizes, motivates, or sanctions them. They assign this role to themselves. For example, I am a stakeholder in the construction project in our neighborhood. On the one hand, the construction complicates traffic, stirs up dust, and the machines roar all day long, and no one provides information on when the work will be completed. On the other hand, I am a stakeholder in this project under construction because I hope it will be very beneficial for residents. Am I an important stakeholder? After all, neither the construction company nor the owners of the future facility are even aware of my existence! At first glance, such stakeholders seem completely unimportant, but who knows, who knows… Could a harbinger of future groundbreaking changes be hiding among them? Who knew about Greta Thunberg before her speech at the UN in 2019? And what about Alice Milano as an activist—rather than an actress—before 2018, when she revived and turned the local American #MeToo movement, founded by Tarana Burke in 2006, into a global one? And what about BLM (Black Lives Matter) before 2020? The latter was founded as recently as 2013 and was known primarily only in the United States, but after 2020 it gained worldwide recognition. And these global movements actually appeared on the world stage seemingly out of nowhere, completely unexpectedly! Their actions forced both large corporations and small and medium-sized enterprises to review and strengthen their ethics and compliance policies and practices, and to implement more effective and accessible reporting procedures. This inevitably had an impact on corporate culture, driving the creation of a supportive, safe work environment.  Was there any way to predict these developments? The events themselves, probably not. But you don’t need a global wave of protests to realize that something is wrong within a company and that employees are unhappy about it—even if they remain silent for now. For now!   ## How can people make their voices heard? ![Чоловік у діловому костюмі кричить у мегафон](https://ethicontrol.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Man%20in%20business%20costume%20shouting%20in%20megaphone.webp?width=400&height=270&name=Man%20in%20business%20costume%20shouting%20in%20megaphone.webp) In our view, the solution lies in devoting more—if not the majority—of our attention to people, both within and outside the organization. Monitoring and researching attitudes, expectations, and intentions are absolutely essential. Corporate culture should not be merely a formally stipulated item in the Code of Ethics; rather, it must take on tangible form in practice. This means it should be communicated to people, explained to them, and discussed with them, while taking their opinions and wishes into account.  A whistleblower platform can be a useful—even indispensable—tool for shaping and developing organizational culture. Advanced software allows for adaptation to specific needs and contexts. Of course, this also requires properly trained compliance staff.    For those who remember the days of the former USSR, compliance officers may bring to mind the political instructors of the army back then—only now enhanced by digital technology. However, once again, it all depends on the organizational culture and the attitude of leadership. Many things in life can be used for both good and evil. In some cases, whistleblower platforms may become a tool for denunciation, and compliance and ethics specialists may turn out to be a kind of political instructor. Maybe so. But why think so negatively about all organizations in general? 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