ABSTRACT
The first large-scale comprehensive investigation of the law violations of major firms since Edwin H. Sutherland's pioneering work was carried out in connection with the study of corporate crime. Data on enforcement actions against corporations were derived from: federal agencies, law service reports, reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission, and newspaper articles. Poor to any analysis of initiated federal actions and sanctions against corporations, several important considerations should be recognized. Six main types of corporate illegal behavior were found: administrative, environmental, financial, labor, manufacturing, and unfair trade practices. Analysis was limited to total violations and to manufacturing, environmental, and labor violations since violators in the areas were sufficient in number for the various analyses. Only administrative penalties were given in approximately two-thirds of the serious violations and in all of the minor infractions. Firms with relatively poor or declining financial records may be more likely to violate certain laws than those whose economic performance is better.
