Abstract

This research examines organizational misconduct from a symbolic interactionist perspective, providing theoretical and empirical insights into the mechanisms underlying the cause-and-effect relationships posited by the dominant, pressure/ opportunity model of organizational misconduct. Findings from this research both support and extend the pressure/opportunity model of organizational misconduct. In support of the dominant model, it confirms that environmental and organizational factors do create pressures and opportunities that drive organizational misconduct. However, these findings suggest that pressure and opportunity are mediated by embedded organizational frames that have the potential to normalize (or potentially demonize) organizational misconduct.