Krystallis, Ilias;
Locatelli, Giorgio;
(2022)
Normalizing White-Collar Wrongdoing in Professional Service Firms.
Journal of Management in Engineering
, 38
(5)
, Article 04022049. 10.1061/(ASCE)ME.1943-5479.0001079.
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Abstract
There is extensive literature on top managers committing wrongdoing, but few studies examine white-collar wrongdoing. Drawing on the experiences of a professional service firm, we examine why and how engineering consultants normalize wrongdoing. Leveraging bounded rationality theory, we find that organizational myopia promotes inadequate administrative systems that hold consultants prisoner to their rules and procedures, leading to normalized wrongdoing. Our theoretical contributions are threefold: (1) we contribute to the literature on wrongdoing, presenting the relation between organizational myopia and normalized wrongdoing, (2) we contribute to the administrative systems literature, showing their link with poor project performance, and (3) we show how administrative systems and normalized wrongdoing play a role in project scope creep. We introduce an iceberg model to show that the failed project (the tip of the iceberg) is due to organizational myopia and inefficient administrative systems that need to be addressed before starting any project.
Type: | Article |
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Title: | Normalizing White-Collar Wrongdoing in Professional Service Firms |
Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
DOI: | 10.1061/(ASCE)ME.1943-5479.0001079 |
Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)ME.1943-5479.0001079 |
Language: | English |
Additional information: | This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher's terms and conditions. |
Keywords: | Bounded rationality theory; Normalized wrongdoing; Project performance; Organizational behavior; Organizational myopia. |
UCL classification: | UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS UCL |
URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10148047 |
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