Extending Situational Action Theory to White-Collar Crime

A theory that has started to receive increased empirical attention is Situational Action Theory. This theory argues that an individual’s morality is the central individual-level variable in predicting offending. It also hypothesizes that low self-control will only predict offending among those with low morals. Although this theory has been applied to street crime, the current study represents the first time it has been applied to white-collar crime. With the use of a scenario-based methodology, the results support the theory. Along with the implications of these findings, limitations and directions for future research are also presented.