Law and Corporate Behaviour

"This book examines the theories and practice of how to control corporate behaviour through legal techniques. The principal theories examined are deterrence, economic rational acting, responsive regulation, and the findings of behavioural psychology. Leading examples of the various approaches are given in order to illustrate the models: private enforcement of law through litigation in the USA, public enforcement of competition law by the European Commission, and the recent reform of policies on public enforcement of regulatory law in the United Kingdom. Noting that behavioural psychology has as yet had only limited application in legal and regulatory theory, the book then analyses various European regulatory structures where behavioural techniques can be seen or could be applied. Sectors examined include financial services, civil aviation, pharmaceuticals, and workplace health and safety. Key findings are that 'enforcement' has to focus on identifying the causes of non-compliance, so as to be able to support improved performance, rather than be based on fear motivating complete compliance. Systems in which reporting is essential for safety only function with a no-blame culture. The