Paper to Practice: Why Compliance Programs Fail and How to Build Programs That Work

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?

Authors: Eugene Soltes

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 272

ISBN-13: 9781394391936

Publication date: 20260827