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Fraud in Sustainability Departments? An Exploratory Study

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Abstract

While sustainability is largely associated with do-gooders, this article discusses whether and how fraud might also be an issue in sustainability departments. More specifically, transferring the concept of the fraud triangle to sustainability departments I discuss possible pressures/incentives, opportunities, and rationalizations/attitudes for sustainability managers to commit fraud. Based on interviews with sustainability and forensic practitioners, my findings suggest that sustainability managers face mounting pressure and have opportunities to manipulate due to an immature control environment. Whether a presumably morality-driven attitude may prevent them from committing and easily rationalizing fraud remains controversial. Even though cases of fraud happening in sustainability departments are still widely unknown, the interview analysis reveals that sustainability fraud is likely to occur at least to some extent—and presumably remains undetected. The study brings to light the importance of a clear commitment from executives to sustainability to prevent sustainability fraud and demonstrates adverse developments driven by external stakeholders, specifically the bonus relevancy of sustainability index scores. In particular, the study shows a lack of awareness for potential fraud in sustainability departments.

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Notes

  1. General examples of fraud are embezzlement, insider trading, self-dealing, lying about facts, failure to disclose facts, bribery/corruption, misappropriation of assets, or a combination (Albrecht et al. 2004, Zahra et al. 2005).

  2. For example, instead of discussing the opportunity angle of the fraud triangle I discussed the opportunity of errors with them which is closely related (Trompeter et al. 2013). Further, I generally evaluated the pressures/incentives of SMs in their department without mentioning that this could potentially increase the risk of fraud in this area.

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  1. Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44801, Bochum, Germany

    Maria Steinmeier

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  1. Maria Steinmeier
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Correspondence to Maria Steinmeier.

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Steinmeier, M. Fraud in Sustainability Departments? An Exploratory Study. J Bus Ethics 138, 477–492 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-015-2615-3

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