My last post outlined the criminological and behavioral ethics theories that help explain why corporate executives commit unethical and illegal acts.  I’d like to unpack that a bit more by providing some specific rationalizations used by white collar offenders.  This list includes the first five rationalizations to be identified by researches (sometimes called the “famous five”), and then supplements three others that are particularly relevant.  Not surprisingly, there are disagreements as to exactly how many rationalizations there are and precisely how they operate.  But, as one team of researchers put it, what is interesting about rationalization theory is what rationalizations do, “not the flavors they come in.”

Denial of Responsibility.  Called the “master account,” the denial of responsibility rationalization occurs when the offender defines her conduct in a way that relieves her of responsibility, thereby mitigating “both social disproval and a personal sense of failure.”  Generally, offenders deny responsibility by claiming their behavior is accidental or due to forces outside their control.  White collar offenders deny responsibility by pleading ignorance, suggesting they were acting under orders, or contending larger economic conditions caused them to act illegally.

Denial of Injury.  This rationalization focuses on the injury or harm caused …