Police misconduct and crime: bad apples or systems failure?

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to report from an empirical study of white‐collar crime in business organizations and to create insights into perceptions of potential offenders. Design/methodology/approach - A survey was conducted among chief financial officers in the largest business organizations in Norway. Findings - The study identified financial misconduct by chief executives in the company as the crime associated with the most serious consequences for the company. A person in purchasing and procurement functions is assumed to be most vulnerable to and most likely involved in white‐collar crime. Research limitations/implications - The survey focused on perceptions and threats rather than actual crime cases that might be included in future research. Practical implications - Most vulnerable persons, including purchasing executives and chief executive officers, should never be left alone signing invoices and other expenditures on behalf of the firm. Social implications - A four‐eye principle should be introduced in all business organizations in financial matters. Originality/value - Chief financial officers' perceptions of vulnerability in top management create new insights into white‐collar crime.