NCJ Number
116874
Journal
Journal of Quantitative Criminology Volume: 4 Issue: 4 Dated: (December 1988) Pages: 347-362
Date Published
1988
Length
16 pages
Annotation
In this study, Hirsch's control theory was conceptually developed and empirically tested as a rationale for white-collar offending.
Abstract
According to Hirschi's control theory, 'delinquent acts result when an individual's bond to society is weak or broken' (1969, p. 16). This bond is composed of four interrelated elements: attachments, commitments, involvements, and beliefs. To test this theory, data were collected as part of an executive survey conducted by a multinational automobile corporation. The main survey instrument was composed of 40 items that measured demographic background as well as employee attitudes toward personal and professional goals. A supplementary questionnaire contained nine items relevant to control theory and one item which measured frequency of self-reported white-collar offending. The final sample consisted of 435 respondents. Results indicate that factors within the corporation, such as managerial attachments, work commitment and involvement, and belief in corporate rules, significantly affected individual rates of executive self-reported offending. In particular, those executives who had the strongest bond to their manager, their coworkers, and the corporation itself were least likely to report having engaged in a white-collar crime. Theoretical implications of these findings and how they relate to extant theories of white-collar criminality are discussed. 4 tables, 29 references.