Corruption Theories

What is the cultural goal of success in a capitalist structure?

It is inherent in the capitalist structure and often aligns with corporate goals of profit maximization.

What is goal setting in a corporation?

Harmonization of individual goals with corporate objectives (reward structure, training, culture); Cultural goal of success is inherent in capitalist culture

What are some possible impediments to achieving corporate goals?

Uncertainty in the market, competition, regulations, technology, natural disasters, geo-political events, illness, and family problems.

What is Anomie?

People relate to groups of which they are or are not members, which can be groups or individuals, and positive or negative

What is relative deprivation?

It refers to an individual or collective feeling of deprivation, where one believes they should have something they do not.

When do people feel deprivation?

When they actually see it as inequality or discontent; Involves the connection of subjective feelings of individuals with culturally and socially patterned comparisons made through reference groups

How do reference groups influence individual goals?

People use comparative reference groups to judge themselves or others and normative reference groups to set standards for acceptance.

What leads to pressure toward deviant solutions in a competitive culture?

Perceptions of injustice and comparisons within reference groups can create pressure for deviance.

What is the ends-means discrepancy?

It occurs when individuals experience a gap between their goals and the means available to achieve them, often leading to deviance.

What role does senior management play in corporate deviance?

They may pressure employees to meet higher sales targets, cut costs, and expedite projects, which can lead to unethical practices.

What is normalization of deviance?

It refers to the process where misconduct becomes routinized and accepted within an organization.

How did Siemens exemplify corporate deviance?

Siemens engaged in bribery and dubious accounting practices for 17 years, rationalizing their actions as necessary for survival.

What is the significance of communication of neutralizing views in corporate crime?

It allows individuals to justify their deviant actions, such as claiming no harm was done or that it was a common practice.

What is the impact of globalization on crime?

Globalization creates opportunities for crime by increasing asymmetries, leading to more motives and weaker controls.

Define globalization.

It is the interconnectedness and multilateral linkages through flows of capital, goods, information, people, and environmental substances.

What are the dimensions of globalization?

Economic, cultural, environmental, and military dimensions can intensify or decrease at different times.

What is neo-liberalism?

A school of thought advocating minimal state intervention in the market, promoting trade, financial liberalization; motor of globalization

What are some factors influencing crime in the context of globalization?

Wars, embargoes, natural disasters, political instability, and differences in state values and priorities.

What is the relationship between anomie and economic crime?

Anomie can lead to reduced guiding power of norms, resulting in deviance as individuals seek to adapt to perceived inequalities.

How can organizational structures contribute to crime?

They can create a distance between the criminal mind and the criminal act, making detection and enforcement more difficult.

What is the need for better social control in the context of crime?

Improved social control is necessary to address the disconnect between criminal actions and accountability in organizations.

What is the role of power in shaping law enforcement?

Those with power can influence law-making and enforcement, affecting how laws are applied and perceived.

How does relative deprivation relate to strain?

Relative deprivation can lead to feelings of strain when individuals perceive injustice or inequality in their circumstances.

What is the significance of deviance without strain?

It occurs when deviance is normalized within a subculture, allowing individuals to engage in misconduct without feeling pressure.

What are the implications of asymmetric influences on control issues?

Power asymmetries can lead to over-regulation and resistance, weakening the acceptance of social norms.

What is the connection between competitive forces and individual deviance?

Competitive forces can create pressures that lead individuals to rationalize deviant behavior as a means to achieve success.

What factors can activate crime-producing potential?

Opportunities and motives that fuel demand for illegal markets and weaken controls.

List the types of asymmetries that can contribute to crime.

Legal, law enforcement, cultural, economic, political, power, technological, and environmental.

How do asymmetries produce opportunities for misconduct?

By generating incentives for illegal practices, increasing vulnerability to victimization, reducing authorities' ability to control crime, and fueling the demand for illegal goods

What effect does globalization have on criminogenic asymmetries?

It multiplies asymmetries, activates their criminogenic potential, and intensifies their effects.

What has been the trend in wealth distribution according to Oxfam reports?

The richest 1% captured 82% of wealth created in a year, while the poorest half received nothing.

What is global anomie?

Breaks societal barriers and encourages new needs, desires, fashions. Promotes the adoption of non-membership reference groups for comparisons that can be unfavorable and upsetting which may lead to deviance and crime

How does globalization and neo-liberal policies contribute to relative deprivation?

It raises awareness of economic asymmetries, creating new needs and desires that are often unfulfilled.

What are new asymmetries that have emerged in recent years?

Conflicts, wars, wealth disparities, technological inequalities, knowledge gaps, and climate disadvantages.

What is dysnomie and crimes without law violations?

The absence of a widely accepted transnational normative framework to regulate cross-border activities; the existence of many different, inconsistent and often conflicting legal frameworks

Give an example of criminogenesis related to illegal activities.

Illegal toxic waste export/dumping (which is influenced by different laws and enforcement levels), tax evasion, money laundering, human trafficking, COVID-19, pharmaceuticals and marketing/testing

What are some illegal markets?

Arms, art, gambling, disinformation, counterfeits, organs, humans (labor/sex), drugs, PPE/vaccine/treatments

What are some illegal markets that have emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Markets for PPE, vaccine nationalism, counterfeit medicines, disinformation, de-globalization, supply chain disruptions

What are the implications of neo-liberal policies on crime?

They create competitive disadvantages, budget deficits, and social unrest, leading to deviant solutions and practices.

What role does awareness of inequalities play in crime?

It can lead to perceptions of injustice, motivating individuals to engage in illegal activities.

What is the significance of the term 'means-ends disjunctions'?

It refers to the systematic creation of gaps between means and ends, leading to deviance and crime.

What are the policy implications for addressing criminogenic asymmetries?

Avoid over-regulation, build consensus with stakeholders, and understand the causes and vulnerabilities of misconduct.

What are crimiongenic asymmetries?

Structural discrepancies in the realms of law, the economy, politics, culture, technology, power and health; produced in the course of interactions between unequal actors (individual or organizational) or systems with distinctive features

How do economic and power inequalities affect crime rates?

They widen disparities, leading to increased crime opportunities and reduced control by authorities.

What is the impact of technological inequalities on crime?

They create gaps in knowledge and resources, making certain populations more vulnerable to exploitation.

What is the relationship between stress and crime?

Stress can lead to risk-taking, corner-cutting, and radicalization, increasing the likelihood of engaging in illegal activities.

How does cultural promotion of new ideals contribute to crime?

It can legitimize deviant behavior and create discontent among those who cannot attain these ideals.

What is the effect of migration on crime vulnerability?

Migrants from deprived areas may trust fraudsters, leading to exploitation and victimization.

What are the consequences of a lack of regulatory frameworks in global crime?

It leads to inconsistent enforcement, control weaknesses, and a 'race to the bottom' in legal standards.

What does the term 'clientelism' refer to in the context of global crime?

It describes a system where political leaders provide resources to their supporters in exchange for political loyalty, often leading to corruption.

What is the significance of the term 'race to the bottom'?

It refers to the tendency of countries to lower standards or regulations to attract business, often resulting in increased crime.

What are the policy implications?

Avoid over-regulation and -legalization; outreach and consensus building with all stakeholders; good understanding of causes and vulnerabilities as welll as social organization of misconduct; corporate due-diligence; regular update on regulatory effectiveness, costs, illicit modi operandi and interfaces