Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2005, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 1965, History

Committee: Gerald G. Eggert (Advisor) Subjects: History

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2022, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Criminal Justice

Antitrust offenses are an important form of white-collar crime. They exemplify Sutherland's definition of white-collar crime as an offense “committed by people of high social status in the course of their occupation.” These offenses impose substantial economic harm, reducing competition and innovation. Yet, women in antitrust violations have received limited attention from researchers regarding their prevalence and roles. As such, this dissertation hopes to explore and shed light on women in antitrust violations in the United States through an opportunity perspective. This project creates a database and uses content analysis to collect information on schemes, cases, and entities. Antitrust cases were drawn from the Antitrust Division in the Department of Justice and filed from January 1st, 1990, to December 31st, 2018. Cases were selected according to the following criteria. They 1) have an antitrust or related violation, 2) are criminal or civil, and 3) have at least one female defendant. Then, related cases were grouped into schemes for analysis. An additional sample of male-only cases was drawn using random sampling stratified by years to create a control sample. All court documents and supplemental information gathered from online searches were reviewed and coded into variables. There are four groups of variables in the coding scheme: 1) case information, 2) documentation, 3) defendant information, and 4) organizational information. Additional employment statistics are collected for selected industries. Overall, during the study period, 54 female antitrust offenders in 41 schemes were identified. The analyses explore gender differences in patterns within schemes, industries, occupational positions, and roles in the conspiracy. First and foremost, very few women are involved in antitrust offenses. No scheme is a woman-only conspiracy. Female presence is sporadic between 1990 – 2018. Moreover, the analyses revealed similarities and differences in t (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Michael Benson Ph.D. (Committee Member); Miranda Galvin Ph.D. (Committee Member); Ben Feldmeyer Ph.D. (Committee Member); John Eck Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Criminology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1963, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Economics

Master of Arts in Economics, Youngstown State University, 1998, Lariccia School of Accounting and Finance

The center of interest of this paper is anti-competitiveness of the infant formula industry. Following the analysis of the industry behavior and legal activities concerning it, this essay hypothesizes that the U.S. government will not succeed in obtaining a legal judgement that would regulate the policies of the major infant formula firms. The infant formula industry is a heavily concentrated oligopoly. The main market share holders serve more than eighty percent of the market. Industry behavior is characterized by simultaneous, almost identical price increases by the industry leaders. The subsidiaries that produce and market formula are the most profitable sections of their organizations. The marketing practices of formula producers are highly controversial. Top producers adhere to the concept of ethical advertising or advertising formula through licensed physicians only. This type of advertising severely limits the entrance of new competition into the industry and may violate antitrust laws. Demand for formula by women who do not breast-feed is relatively inelastic, which results in a high level of brand loyalty and price following behavior by the producers. Also at the center of interest is the government's Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) Program, which provides formula at low or no cost to mothers in lower income brackets. Numerous court cases were brought against infant formula producers, alleging price fixing behavior and restraint of competition in the market. These cases were not successful in winning judgements against the formula producers so far. The paper argues that the specific market climate, as well as the ambiguity of certain concepts in antitrust statutes, will allow the formula producers to continue with their behavior without the government's interference.

Committee: Rochelle Ruffer (Advisor) Subjects: Economics, Commerce - Business