Henry & David Inc. is a law firm in the United States. Recently, a female employee of the firm filed a sexual harassment complaint against her supervisor. To maintain the firm's internal and external reputation, the CEO of the firm directed the HR manager to turn a deaf ear to the complaint and suppress any rumors related to it. However, Seth, an employee at the firm, discovered this and reported the actions of the CEO to the concerned authorities. In this scenario, Seth is a(n) ____.

In this scenario, Seth is a whistleblower. A whistleblower is a person who exposes any kind of information or activity that is deemed illegal, unethical, or not correct within an organization that is either private or public. Seth reported the misconduct of ignoring a sexual harassment complaint, which is against the law and firm policies, to the authorities, which is a quintessential act of whistleblowing.

Extra: Whistleblowing is an important mechanism for accountability and governance in both the public and private sectors. When someone blows the whistle, they are bringing to light information that typically an organization, especially its leadership, wants to keep hidden. Laws and regulations, such as the Whistleblower Protection Act in the United States, protect whistleblowers from retaliation, recognizing the public value of their courage to speak up. However, even with protections in place, whistleblowers often face significant personal and professional risks. Whistleblower actions can lead to changes in policies, regulations, and enforcement actions against wrongdoing within organizations. It's also a strong measure to discourage companies from engaging in unethical behavior, knowing that they might be held accountable for their actions.