Organising White-Collar and Corporate Crimes Understanding the Organization of White-Collar Crime

'In this groundbreaking work, Lord and Levi present a detailed analysis of how complex white-collar and corporate crimes are organized. By focusing on the mechanics of white-collar offenses, they advance our understanding of how and why these multifaceted crimes persist as well as suggesting mechanisms for their regulation and control.'

Michael L. Benson, Professor of Criminology, University of Cincinnati

'Lord and Levi, renowned global scholars, take readers on a tour de force into the world of white-collar and corporate criminals. Focusing on the very nature of these crimes - organisation, they lay bare the deep mechanisms on which they thrive. Razor-sharp analyses of juicy cases complement a truly intellectual adventure.'

Susanne Karstedt, Professor of Criminology, Griffith University

'This book by two of the most authoritative scholars in white-collar criminology offers a comprehensive account of how white-collar crimes are organized and financed, as well as many case descriptions of seriously harmful white-collar crimes in contemporary organizations. An essential read.'

Judith van Erp, Professor of Regulatory Governance, Utrecht University

'Seventy-five years after Edwin Sutherland characterized white-collar crimes as crimes of organization, this book provides the analytical framework to actually study the contemporary organization of white-collar and corporate crimes. This is much needed to advance white-collar and corporate crime scholarship.'

Karin van Wingerde, Professor of Corporate Crime and Governance, Erasmus School of Law, Erasmus University Rotterdam

'Most studies apply mainstream theories from criminology to white-collar and corporate crime, with mixed results. This book revitalizes the field with an opposite approach, by directly aiming at the core of white-collar crime. Understanding 'organisation' is key to understanding the true nature and root causes of white-collar and corporate crime.'

Wim Huisman, Professor of Criminology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

'Why are white-collar and corporate crimes organized as they are? What conditions give rise to different forms of organisation over time? How do people come together to undertake and accomplish these illegal acts? In this unique and important book, the authors conduct a deep dive into the underlying mechanisms of organisation by connecting diverse literatures (opportunity, white-collar crime scripts, and multi-mode, multi-link network analysis) and applying their integrated perspective to case studies of white-collar and corporate crime. The approach is innovative and illuminating. I heartily recommend it.'

Sally S. Simpson, Distinguished University Professor (Emerita), Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Maryland

'This is a signal book in the annals of white-collar criminology and, more broadly, in the reconstitution of aetiological studies of crime, security and justice. In Organising White-Collar and Corporate Crimes, Lord and Levi provide a compelling justification for the need to question how such crimes are possible and, a fortiori, what are the implications for regulation and control. Beyond criminology this book is sure to attract acclaim as part of the burgeoning tradition of applied critical realism in the social sciences. A must read for those committed to, or sceptical about, causal explanation in contemporary social research.'

Professor Adam Edwards, Cardiff University

`Overall, Organising White-Collar and Corporate Crimes is a critically important and intellectually stimulating contribution. It furnishes scholars, graduate students, and potentially policymakers with a sophisticated and adaptable framework for analysing the often opaque world of corporate and white-collar offending. Its detailed focus on organisational dynamics, underpinned by a rigorous critical realist methodology, offers fresh avenues for empirical research and theoretical development. By challenging simplistic accounts and demanding a multi- faceted, context-sensitive analysis, Lord and Levi have produced a work that should become essential reading for anyone serious about understanding the complex realities of contemporary economic and organisational crime and its intersections with social justice. It is highly recommended.'

Alexander Yu. Krouglov (10 Jun 2025): Organising White-Collar and Corporate Crimes, Contemporary Justice Review, DOI: 10.1080/10282580.2025.2518105 [tandfonline.com]

https://doi.org/10.1080/10282580.2025.2518105