Cover image for Normal organizational wrongdoing : a critical analysis of theories of misconduct in and by organizations
Title:
Normal organizational wrongdoing : a critical analysis of theories of misconduct in and by organizations
Personal Author:
Publication Information:
Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2012
Physical Description:
xv, 313 p. : ill. ; 24 cm.
ISBN:
9780199573592

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30000010290421 HD58.7 P354 2012 Open Access Book Book
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30000010297194 HD58.7 P354 2012 Open Access Book Advance Management
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Summary

Summary

Instances of wrongdoing in and by organizations have featured heavily in news headlines in recent years. Why do organizational participants - employees, managers, senior officials - engage in illegal, unethical, and socially irresponsible behavior? The dominant view of wrongdoing as an abnormal phenomenon assumes that the perpetrator is a rational, proactive actor, working in isolation. However, Palmer develops an alternative approach in this book examining wrongdoing as a normal occurrence, produced by actors with no positive inclinations to engage in this practice, but whose behaviour is shaped by the immediate social context over a period of time.The book provides a comprehensive critical review of the theory and research on organizational wrongdoing. By using rich case study material, it illuminates different perspectives, potential explanations, policy implications, and suggestions for the way forward for the improvement of organizational efficiency and effectiveness.


Author Notes

Donald Palmer holds a BSc in Molecular Biology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison and a PhD in Sociology from the State University of New York, Stony Brook. He has served as Assistant Professor in the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University and as chair of the Department of Sociology at Reed College. Professor Palmer has conducted quantitative empirical studies on corporate strategy, structure, and inter-organizational relations and qualitative studies of organizational wrongdoing, which have been published in the American Sociological Review, American Journal of Sociology, Annual Review of Sociology, Social Forces, Research in the Sociology of Organizations Administrative Science Quarterly, Research in Organizational Behavior, Strategic Organization, and Journal of Management Inquiry. He was an Associate Editor of Administrative Science Quarterly from 2000 to 2002 and Editor of the journal from 2003 to 2008.


Table of Contents

List of Figures and Tablesp. xiv
List of Abbreviationsp. xv
1 Introductionp. 1
2 Two Perspectives on Organizational Wrongdoingp. 6
3 Definitions, Theoretical Development, and Methodp. 25
4 A Rational Choicep. 42
5 Culturep. 66
6 Ethical Decisionsp. 90
7 Administrative Systemsp. 126
8 Situational Social Influencep. 145
9 The Power Structurep. 176
10 Accidental Wrongdoingp. 211
11 The Social Control of Organizational Wrongdoingp. 243
12 Conclusionp. 268
Referencesp. 284
Indexp. 303