Organizational life-cycle analysis of corporate offending: insights into how changes in business cycles interact with regulatory oversight to shape compliance and violations

Abstract This paper showcases an organizational life-cycle analysis of corporate offending behavior in small businesses. It analyzes two food and hospitality firms China, drawing on deep ethnographic data collected during three years fieldwork. The investigates these businesses as they go through phases: pre-existence, existence, survival. study shows that life-course is important for understanding the development root causes offending. finds evolves alongside organization. should focus not just changes corporation itself, but also how regulatory context over course organization’s maturing. Stages business cycle coincide with encounters, this shapes corporations view what regulators expect them extent to which can violate such expectations. points a broader form analysis. urges field moves beyond frameworks are supposed monitor reduce