Final answer:
Whistle-blowing is the act of an employee disclosing illegal activities within their organization, a critical practice for corporate accountability and ethical standards.
Step-by-step explanation:
The disclosure by an employee of illegal activities within their organization is known as whistle-blowing. Whistle-blowing involves individuals, often employees, reporting misconduct, illegal acts, or dishonest or harmful behavior within their organization.
The practice is crucial for maintaining ethical standards and accountability in organizations and is protected by various laws to encourage the reporting of wrongdoing without fear of retaliation. One historical instance of whistle-blowing includes Edward Snowden's 2013 leak about U.S. government surveillance activities.