Anti-corruption practices in Norwegian MNCs

This master thesis looks at how Norwegian multinational companies (MNCs) may choose to structure their implementation processes and compliance function to fight corruption. It seeks to bring to the forefront the key factors that need to be in place in order to secure that a company is efficient and successful with regards to their anti-corruption programmes. The thesis is structured around the cross-level analysis of national, company and employee perception and following its implications to the success of the compliance function in Norwegian companies. The main focus lies however within the company level and how corporate management may design their programmes as to ensure successful implementation at an operational level. The research is based on a series of interviews of national corruption experts as well as in-depth interviews with Compliance Officers from 13 Norwegian MNCs. Furthermore, the officers have ranked a list of factors with regards to the efficiency of implementing anti-corruption programmes, and the authors have conducted an employee survey within two of these companies. The findings highlight the inextricability of factors, however nine key factors are highlighted and henceforth provide the foundation of the adoption of a new compliance function lifecycle model. This model hopes to aid practitioners and scholars alike in the quest to better understand the mechanisms behind creating a system which adequately addresses the design-reality gap and warrant wanted behaviours, and by extension ensures the successful implementation of anti-corruption programmes