ABSTRACT
Most businessmen and most responsible government officers, at least from the sample interviewed, believe that businessmen run afoul of the law for economic reasons—they want to "make a fast buck". This chapter attempts to contribute to the growing evidence and doctrine in this field. It is based upon the following sources of information: interviews with top management in twenty-five New England industrial firms; interviews with seven leaders of governmental regulatory agencies; and a statistical study of the violations of trade practice and labor regulation in the New England shoe industry. An analysis of the rates of violation of labor relations laws in the shoe industry gives some support to the differential association hypothesis. The hypothesis that ignorance and improper technical advice is a primary cause of violation is often supported by the belief that the smaller firms violate the law out of proportion to their numbers in the business population, partly, at least, because of poor legal counsel.
