Normal Organizational Wrongdoing critically reviews theory and research on wrongdoing in and of organizations, focusing on the individual level of analysis. The book considers a wide variety of organizational misconduct, including corporate crime, white-collar crime, unethical behaviour, and socially irresponsible behaviour. It begins by developing an overarching framework for classifying existing theories of organizational wrongdoing. Then it uses this framework to guide its presentation, evaluation, and extension of theories currently in use in the field. The overarching fram ... More

Normal Organizational Wrongdoing critically reviews theory and research on wrongdoing in and of organizations, focusing on the individual level of analysis. The book considers a wide variety of organizational misconduct, including corporate crime, white-collar crime, unethical behaviour, and socially irresponsible behaviour. It begins by developing an overarching framework for classifying existing theories of organizational wrongdoing. Then it uses this framework to guide its presentation, evaluation, and extension of theories currently in use in the field. The overarching framework distinguishes between two broad classes of theories of wrongdoing; one, shared by most students of wrongdoing, considers wrongdoing an abnormal phenomenon and the other, championed by the author, considers wrongdoing a normal occurrence. Two existing explanations of wrongdoing, the rational choice and culture accounts, fall into the former category. Four existing theories, the administrative system, situational social influence, power structure, and accidental accounts, fall into the latter category. One current theory, the behavioural decision account, serves as a bridge between the two approaches. The book's overarching framework also suggests the need for an eighth explanation of organizational wrongdoing that has largely been overlooked to this point, the social control account. The theoretical arguments advanced in the book are illustrated by rich case studies of instances of organizational wrongdoing. The book concludes with a discussion of the practical implications that the theory reviewed and developed in the book holds for those seeking to curb wrongdoing in and of organizations.