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1 – 10 of over 1000Cathrine Filstad and Petter Gottschalk
This article aims to address the research question: “What are the characteristics of white‐collar criminals in Norway?”.
Abstract
Purpose
This article aims to address the research question: “What are the characteristics of white‐collar criminals in Norway?”.
Design/methodology/approach
The research is based on data from articles in Norwegian financial newspapers for one year where a total of 67 white‐collar criminals convicted to jail sentence were identified. The sample is analysed and presented in comparison with US literature especially on characteristics of white‐collar criminals, which is believed to be both general and limited.
Findings
The paper's contribution is important, as studies of white‐collar criminals so far have focused on case studies rather than statistical analysis of a larger sample. The paper finds that the typically white‐collar criminal is male, 46 years old, involved with first time crime of the amount of 30 million US dollars and convicted to three years of imprisonment. As a contradiction to previous literature on white‐collar crime, the paper also finds that they are not part of the upper‐class and highly educated. On the contrary, even though mostly being leaders, they are not highly educated, but have a position that gives them access to money. Consequently, the paper also finds that manipulation and fraud is the most common form of white‐collar crime in Norway.
Originality/value
The results are in opposition to existing literature and offer a fresh perspective on the characteristics of white‐collar criminals in Norway.
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Keywords
The purpose of this paper is to present an empirical study of white‐collar crime in business organisations, to create insights into perceptions of potential offenders.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present an empirical study of white‐collar crime in business organisations, to create insights into perceptions of potential offenders.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey instrument was developed and submitted electronically to the chief financial officers of the 500 largest business organisations in Norway.
Findings
The study identified financial misconduct by chief executive officers in the company as the crime associated with the most serious consequence for the company. However, a person in a purchasing and procurement function is assumed to be the most likely involved in and vulnerable to white‐collar crime.
Research limitations/implications
This is a survey approach that does not reflect actual crime.
Practical implications
Both control mechanisms and ethics are needed to prevent and detect white‐collar crime.
Social implications
No executive should be left alone to handle business matters that can benefit himself/herself. Rather, the four eyes principle should always be applied.
Originality/value
The paper provides statistical evidence that top‐level executives are involved in financial crime.
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This paper aims to update our understanding of the public’s opinion of white-collar crime and explains perceptions of white-collar crime using self-interest, political affiliation…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to update our understanding of the public’s opinion of white-collar crime and explains perceptions of white-collar crime using self-interest, political affiliation and in-group/out-group characteristics.
Design/methodology/approach
A state-wide phone survey of adults in North Carolina was conducted, and 421 adults responded. They provided their views of white-collar crime, the need for government intervention and whether they were more concerned about white-collar crime in the public or private sector.
Findings
In the survey, 74 per cent of the responders agreed or strongly agreed that white-collar crime is one of the leading problems in this decade, and 74 per cent of the responders suggested that it is not being adequately addressed by our legislators. Evidence suggests that individuals who are conservative, have high confidence in their economic circumstances or are demographically similar to stereotypical white-collar criminals perceive white-collar crime to be less of a problem than individuals without these characteristics.
Originality/value
This study shows that perceptions of the dangers of white-collar crime have increased since its inception. Additionally, this study extends our understanding about why certain demographics are more likely to care (and why high-ranking politicians are less likely to care) about white-collar crime.
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The purpose of this paper is to present an empirical study of white‐collar crime to create insights into perceptions of potential offenders with a gender perspective.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present an empirical study of white‐collar crime to create insights into perceptions of potential offenders with a gender perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
Media coverage of individual criminals was used as identification for crime cases, which were then found in court rulings.
Findings
The paper is based on empirical research of convicted white‐collar criminals. Out of 161 convicts presented in newspaper articles, there were 153 male and eight female criminals, i.e. 4 per cent.
Research limitations/implications
It is indeed hard to believe that Norwegian men commit 25 times more white‐collar crimes when compared to Norwegian women. Therefore, it is a question of whether the detection rate for female white‐collar criminals is lower than for male white‐collar criminals.
Practical implications
More attention might be paid to characteristics of female white‐collar crime in the future.
Originality/value
Rather than presenting some cases and anecdotal evidence, the paper presents substantial statistical evidence to conclude on gender differences in white‐collar crime.
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Keywords
Maryam Kamaei, Salameh Abolhasani and Naghmeh Farhood
The purpose of this research is to analyze the role of gender in the commission of white collar crimes and investigate it in five countries: Norway, Portugal, America, India and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this research is to analyze the role of gender in the commission of white collar crimes and investigate it in five countries: Norway, Portugal, America, India and Iran.
Design/methodology/approach
Descriptive analytical method is used in this article.
Findings
A total of five observations were examined about the rank and percentage of women's participation in white-collar crimes, namely, from Norway (rank 3, 7%), USA (rank 26, 5%), Portugal (29th rank, 13%), India (rank 135, 11%) and Iran (rank 143, 5%). As is visually obvious, there seems to be no relationship between the level of gender equality and the percentage of women involved in white-collar crimes. However, according to Hobbs, in most research, the issue of gender and its effect on the occurrence of white-collar crimes have not been addressed, but by using the limited statistics and limited information available, it can be concluded that a small number of women have committed this crime. According to global crime reports, only 15 out of 200 prosecutions for white-collar crimes involve women.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this article is original and has been submitted only to this journal and has not been submitted to another journal at the same time.
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Richard G. Brody and Kent A. Kiehl
The purpose of this paper is to explore the issue of violence with respect to white‐collar criminals.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the issue of violence with respect to white‐collar criminals.
Design/methodology/approach
The analysis is conceptual, focusing on the historical underpinnings of white‐collar crime and reviewing the evolution of white‐collar criminals.
Findings
Findings suggest that white‐collar criminals do display violent tendencies and, contrary to popular belief, can become dangerous individuals.
Practical implications
The paper represents an extremely useful and practical source for fraud examiners and other white‐collar crime investigators. Raising the awareness of investigators dealing with white‐collar criminals may prevent them from becoming victims of a violent act.
Originality/value
The paper fulfills a need to highlight a dangerous trend with white‐collar criminals in that they may be driven to violence against those involved in investigating their crimes.
Most financial services regulators and compliance professionals are familiar with the term ‘white collar crime’, and may have encountered white collar criminals or examples of…
Abstract
Most financial services regulators and compliance professionals are familiar with the term ‘white collar crime’, and may have encountered white collar criminals or examples of white collar crime while carrying out their regulatory responsibilities. However, the majority of regulatory or compliance professionals are unlikely to be familiar with the origins of the white collar crime label or the specialist subject area of criminology. This paper provides a short explanation of the origins of the white collar crime debate, then briefly considers some of the dilemmas that are shared by white collar criminologists and regulatory professionals, before detailing some areas in which criminological research may have relevance for financial services regulation.
Bojan Dobovšek and Boštjan Slak
The purpose of this paper is to show the interconnectivity between the economic sphere, governance and organised crime and to shed light on the role of white-collar crime and show…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to show the interconnectivity between the economic sphere, governance and organised crime and to shed light on the role of white-collar crime and show that constant redefining of the term “organised crime” has certain downfalls.
Design/methodology/approach
Methods of analysis and examination of relevant domestic and foreign primary and secondary resources and legal acts are used. The paper is theoretical in nature, as review of literature was the main method used for our argumentation.
Findings
The term and phenomena of organised crime have now long enjoyed the attention of many researchers, institutions, policymakers and others. And yet, in this quest for unification, proper definition and classification, it seems that we have somewhat strayed from that original idea of what organised crime represented in the period when this term was first coined. Unfortunately, by doing so, we failed to include the most dangerous forms of behaviour, i.e. (some, not all!) white-collar crime, which falls within the scope of organised crime.
Practical implications
Despite the fact that ideas presented in this paper belong to the old masters of criminology, they have lately been slightly forgotten. The paper is therefore useful to those who are interested in seeing how original ideas about the nature of organised crime are applicable today.
Originality/value
The paper provides an insight into the somewhat overlooked scholarship of those who deal with organised crime and white-collar crime.
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Theresa Hilliard and Presha E. Neidermeyer
Changing workplace demographics reflect a rising number of women in the traditionally male-dominated field of business. The purpose of this study is to investigate how upwardly…
Abstract
Purpose
Changing workplace demographics reflect a rising number of women in the traditionally male-dominated field of business. The purpose of this study is to investigate how upwardly mobile women may impact the commission and type of white-collar crime, contributing to the scarce literature on gender distinctions in criminal behavior while comparing criminal trends globally. Women’s increased representation in positions of power in business provides them with increased fraud opportunities prompting the authors to ask: in their areas of opportunity, do women and men commit the same types of white-collar crime and at the same rates, and how does this phenomena vary globally?
Design/methodology/approach
Using a database from the Institute for Fraud Prevention, 5,441 fraud cases are examined from 93 nations for the annual periods from 2002 until 2011. Ordinal logistic regression methods are used to test for differences in gendered criminal behavior by fraud offense type controlling for age, position, education, compensation level and country context.
Findings
Internationally, results from the study indicate that female fraudsters are three times more likely than male fraudsters to commission crimes of asset misappropriation in the workplace. Upon further investigation, stratifying the data by geographical region, findings from the study demonstrate that female fraudsters are more likely than male fraudsters to commit asset misappropriation in the following geographical regions: Africa (three times as likely), Asia (twice as likely), Canada (three times as likely), China (five times as likely), Europe (twice as likely), the Middle East (four times as likely), Oceania (four times as likely), the United Kingdom (eight times as likely) and the United States of America (twice as likely).
Originality/value
Evidence from this study should be of importance to multinational enterprises, auditors and fraud examiners, as asset misappropriation constitutes 87 per cent of all fraud cases globally. Further, these findings prompt the need for researchers to develop this area of research.
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Julien Le Maux and Nadia Smaili
The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the literature on white-collar crime that combines the perspectives of criminology and management sciences research.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the literature on white-collar crime that combines the perspectives of criminology and management sciences research.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on a systematic review of white-collar crime recidivism, this paper defines crime and the white-collar criminal from a different perspective. The literature review was conducted using a multidisciplinary approach.
Findings
This paper offers an insightful discussion of white-collar recidivism. In particular, it highlights the interesting use of “Post Conviction Risk Assessment,” a tool used in criminology literature, and aims to show that the probability of recidivism in white-collar crime can be effectively measured and evaluated. This tool is commonly used by American professionals in combatting criminal recidivism.
Originality/value
This study provides interesting insights into white-collar crime recidivism. It has a number of implications for probation officers and criminologists evaluating the recidivism risk of white-collar criminals for reintegration purposes.
Details