What is White-Collar Crime

From a multidisciplinary view, this chapter presents a conceptualization of white-collar criminality and enables understanding the psychological, organizational, and situational motives behind white-collar crimes. This chapter is noteworthy for integrating environmental, psychological, and situational factors influencing the white-collars to engage in crimes in organizations. Specifically, in the study, organization-based situational variables such as perceived ethical climate and opportunities for rule bending are examined among potential antecedents of white-collar crimes. This study enhances organizations to recognize their code of conducts and ethical climate aspects and helps to understand the causes of rule bending and criminal behaviors among white-collars. Further, the chapter provides implications for the practice and the academics regarding the importance of developing effective business ethics codes, prevention issues, and creating a strong ethical climate.