Paper to Practice - by Eugene Soltes (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

How to build integrity-driven organizations that prevent misconduct through effective compliance design

In Paper to Practice, Harvard Business School professor and Integrity Lab founder Eugene Soltes reveals why companies continue to face major fines, reputational damage, and regulatory scrutiny from employee misconduct despite extensive compliance program efforts. Drawing on his work with multinational organizations, including more than two dozen Fortune 100 companies, global regulatory agencies, and more than a decade of research, Soltes exposes a fundamental problem with corporate compliance: companies often measure inputs instead of outcomes.

This book delivers a data-driven framework for transforming compliance from a "check-the-box" exercise into a measurable business activity that drives real behavioral change. Readers will discover how leading organizations are moving beyond traditional compliance programs to build integrity-driven cultures that create measurable value for the business.

Inside the book:

- How to measure compliance effectiveness using behavioral outcomes
- Rigorous methods for building and assessing organizational culture using both quantitative and qualitative data
- Strategies for proactive risk management
- Evidence-based approaches to investigations, speak-up systems, and accountability that change behavior
- Frameworks for demonstrating ROI on compliance investments to boards and regulators

Essential reading for board members, chief compliance officers, and senior executives who recognize that managing integrity risk is as critical as managing any other business function, Paper to Practice provides the tools to finally answer the question: Is our compliance and integrity program actually effective?

From the Back Cover

Praise for PAPER TO PRACTICE

"Most compliance programs are built on an illusion of safety. Layers of procedures, training modules, and sign-off sheets create the appearance of control--but do they actually prevent misconduct, deter wrong-doing, or enable swift remediation when something goes wrong? Too often, the honest answer is no. Worse, these bloated programs waste resources and alienate the very employees companies need as allies.

In Paper to Practice, Professor Soltes draws on empirical research from psychology, economics, and organizational behavior--alongside his own rigorous assessments of actual internal reporting, compliance and investigation functions--to reveal what actually works. He shows executives how to build a culture of compliance that reaches to the roots of the firm, and gives compliance and legal professionals the tools to honestly assess whether their programs are delivering the outcomes that matter: deterrence, detection, and the ability to respond quickly and cost-effectively when misconduct occurs.

For in-house legal and compliance professionals serious about reducing legal risk while genuinely inspiring employees to join the mission, this is an indispensable read."
--JENNIFER ARLEN, Norma Z. Paige Professor of Law, and Director, Program on Corporate Compliance and Enforcement, NYU Law

"Soltes flips the traditional compliance narrative on its head. Instead of treating compliance as a cost center or box-ticking exercise, he views it as a catalyst for culture. Done well, compliance doesn't just mitigate risk, it helps shape behavior, reinforce values, and build stronger companies. The result is a more effective organization and a culture that creates long-term value."
--ASH SPIEGELBERG, Chief Strategy Officer, Disruptive

About the Author

EUGENE SOLTES is the McLean Family Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School and the Founder and Director of Integrity Lab. His work applies data and quantitative methods to the study of organizational culture and conduct, and has been widely cited and published in leading academic and practitioner journals. Working with a team of data scientists, statisticians, and engineers at Integrity Lab, he has supported organizations around the world in developing data-driven compliance programs, both proactively and in response to regulatory and reputational threats. He is the author of Why They Do It: Inside the Mind of the White-Collar Criminal and a co-author of Corporate Criminal Investigations and Prosecutions.