On the road to legitimacy with anticorruption practices: an empirical study of French SMEs
On the road to legitimacy with anticorruption practices: an empirical study of French SMEs
Despite the importance of tackling corruption, business scholars have largely ignored the topic of anti-corruption. Using neo-institutionalist theory and the typology of organisational responses to institutional pressures, we investigated why and how small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) implemented anti-corruption practices. Through a case study approach and 34 semi-structured interviews in French SMEs, we revealed the indirect effect of coercive isomorphism of the state and direct normative influence of large firms in business relations with the SMEs. To increase their legitimacy, SMEs' strategic response to various and diverse institutional pressures is divided between substantial and symbolic responses. The main answer of SMEs to institutional pressures from large firms was avoidance in relation to anti-corruption practices, thereby creating a façade of compliance with no metabolisation of anti-corruption actions. We point out the instrumental use of anti-corruption practices by SMEs to gain legitimacy. To be considered legitimate business partners by large firms, SMEs showed a façade of respectability in their anti-corruption actions.
SMEs, anticorruption, corruption, neo-institutional theory
Jain, Sonal
eaff28b0-87a6-48c1-8229-ffbf99e92d4b
Venard, Bertrand
7d55e570-b5e0-4fdd-92fe-6a8b9a94e6c7
Baruch, Yehuda
25b89777-def4-4958-afdc-0ceab43efe8a
17 September 2025
Jain, Sonal
eaff28b0-87a6-48c1-8229-ffbf99e92d4b
Venard, Bertrand
7d55e570-b5e0-4fdd-92fe-6a8b9a94e6c7
Baruch, Yehuda
25b89777-def4-4958-afdc-0ceab43efe8a
Jain, Sonal, Venard, Bertrand and Baruch, Yehuda
(2025)
On the road to legitimacy with anticorruption practices: an empirical study of French SMEs.
European Management Review.
(doi:10.1111/emre.70027).
Abstract
Despite the importance of tackling corruption, business scholars have largely ignored the topic of anti-corruption. Using neo-institutionalist theory and the typology of organisational responses to institutional pressures, we investigated why and how small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) implemented anti-corruption practices. Through a case study approach and 34 semi-structured interviews in French SMEs, we revealed the indirect effect of coercive isomorphism of the state and direct normative influence of large firms in business relations with the SMEs. To increase their legitimacy, SMEs' strategic response to various and diverse institutional pressures is divided between substantial and symbolic responses. The main answer of SMEs to institutional pressures from large firms was avoidance in relation to anti-corruption practices, thereby creating a façade of compliance with no metabolisation of anti-corruption actions. We point out the instrumental use of anti-corruption practices by SMEs to gain legitimacy. To be considered legitimate business partners by large firms, SMEs showed a façade of respectability in their anti-corruption actions.
Text
Jain et al. EMR Fight against Corruption in French SMEs
- Accepted Manuscript
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European Management Review - 2025 - Jain - On the road to legitimacy with anti‐corruption practices An empirical study of
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Accepted/In Press date: 1 September 2025
e-pub ahead of print date: 17 September 2025
Published date: 17 September 2025
Keywords:
SMEs, anticorruption, corruption, neo-institutional theory
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Local EPrints ID: 505903
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/505903
ISSN: 1740-4754
PURE UUID: b7366695-62aa-4a06-9ef7-8b4eccc067ad
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Date deposited: 22 Oct 2025 16:59
Last modified: 05 Dec 2025 02:44
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Author:
Sonal Jain
Author:
Bertrand Venard
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