What Drives Inspectors to Counteract Harmful but Legal Business Conduct? A Predictive Model Based on Quantitative Data from a Broad Range of Dutch Inspectorates

Abstract

Inspectors regularly face risks that are unregulated but that may nevertheless require public intervention. Such risks may proliferate due to innovation and social changes. In this study we provide the first quantitative insight into inspectors’ responses to harmful but legal business conduct. Our factor analysis combines survey data (N=263) with theory on street-level bureaucrats and harmful but legal conduct. The resulting model expands these theory fields. It predicts that inspectors undertake significantly more ‘Interventions Beyond the Law’ if they observe more harmful but legal business conduct, are more aware of their inspectorates’ relevant policies, display an activist enforcement stance towards harmful but legal conduct, and have an outcome-driven viewpoint towards such conduct.