Predicting Fraudulent Behavior

This study examines the relationship among company size, slack, return on investment, and the frequency of fraudulent behavior. A model is proposed in which an increase in company size and a decrease in both company slack and return on investment would increase the frequency of fraudulent behavior. A test of the model showed strong support of a relationship between company size and incidents of fraudulent behavior. Additionally, the results suggest that levels of slack may contribute to the frequency of fraud. Further tests provide no support for the relationship between the decrease in return on investment and the increase in the frequency of fraudulent behavior. Overall, the results suggest that large companies with lower levels of slack are more likely to engage in fraudulent behavior. Several explanations for this pattern are explored in the study.