Internal and external drivers of anticorruption policies in multinationals

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This research investigates internal and external drivers that push multinational companies to establish anticorruption policies. The authors build on institutional theory, in particular on the concept of legitimacy, to examine how corporate headquarters design anticorruption policies. They conducted case studies based on semi-structured interviews with managers of Italian multinationals. The findings show how internal and external drivers interplay to affect anticorruption policies at the headquarters level. They suggest that multinational companies align their anticorruption policies to achieve global legitimacy. The study shows how internal and external pressures influence the process of gaining legitimacy.