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  • Journal of Accounting Research

Paper Versus Practice: A Field Investigation of Integrity Hotlines

By: Eugene Soltes
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Abstract

In an effort to motivate firms to more rapidly detect potential misconduct, legislators, regulators, and enforcement agencies incentivize firms to have integrity or “whistleblowing” hotlines. These hotlines provide individuals an opportunity to report alleged misconduct and seek guidance about how to appropriately respond. Beyond some isolated examples, little is known about the responsiveness of hotlines to actual claims of alleged misconduct. I undertake a field study to investigate how hotlines function in practice by making four different inquiries involving alleged misconduct to nearly 250 firms. I find that one-fifth of firms have impediments (e.g., phone line disconnected, email bounce back, direct to incorrect website) that hinder reporting and approximately 10% of firms do not respond in a timely manner. Overall, this investigation illuminates several differences between integrity hotlines “on paper” and how they actually perform in practice.

Keywords

Hotlines; Compliance Programs; Corporate Misconduct; Governance Compliance; Programs; Performance

Citation

Soltes, Eugene. "Paper Versus Practice: A Field Investigation of Integrity Hotlines." Journal of Accounting Research 58, no. 2 (May 2020): 429–472.
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About The Author

Eugene F. Soltes

Accounting and Management
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  • Should I Stay or Should I Go? Assessing Risk in Carlos Ghosn's International Escape By: Eugene F. Soltes, Grace Liu and Muneeb Ahmed
  • Is ‘Not Guilty’ the Same as ‘Innocent’? Evidence from SEC Financial Fraud Investigations By: Eugene F. Soltes and David H. Solomon
  • The Professionalization of Compliance By: Eugene F. Soltes
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