Low Self-Control, Organizational Theory, and Corporate Crime

• NCJ Number: 199335
• Journal: Law & Society Review Volume: 36 Issue: 3 Dated: 2002 Pages: 509-548
• Author(s): Sally S. Simpson; Nicole Leeper Piquero
• Date Published: 2002
• Length: 40 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Theoretical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article discusses the application of the general theory of crime to corporate crime.

Abstract

The general theory of crime suggests that by understanding the nature of crime, it is possible to derive a conception of the offender. Crime is defined as an event involving force or fraud that satisfies self-interest. Crime results from the same underlying trait -- low self-control. Since self-control is fixed long before a person moves into the labor force, the corporation and its characteristics will have little to do with whether one commits an illegal act or not. The organizational illegal act is in direct contrast to the general theory of crime. Organizational theory emphasizes how the complexities and challenges of organizational life motivate officers, managers, and employees to engage in crime as a means to further the interests of their company. The purpose of this study was to assess self-control theory in competition with organizational theory. Data were collected from a sample of managers and managers-in-training to test research hypotheses. It was hypothesized that most managers would be unwilling to engage in corporate offending; managers that exhibited criminal propensities would also manifest other risky behaviors; and criminal propensity would be predicted by low self-control. Also, it was expected that persons in greater positions of authority would exhibit greater self-control elements than those lower on the occupational ladder, controlling for opportunity. Results show that both organizational and individual-level processes are related to the offending intentions of managers and managers-in-training, but in a manner more consistent with organizational theory than the general theory of crime. The key tenets of low self-control theory were unsupported. The findings convey the image of a rational calculator that is motivated to commit crime to achieve personal and organizational gains, and is cognizant of the risks associated with offending. 3 tables, 16 footnotes, 99 references, 3 appendices