According to Silk and Vogel's research, business leaders rationalize legal violations by asserting that compliance...

 Research Findings by Silk and Vogel:

Their research highlights that business leaders often justify non-compliance with regulations by arguing that adhering to such rules significantly increases operational costs and reduces profitability.

 Rationalization in Legal Violations:

This rationalization is consistent with the fraud triangle concept, where rationalization serves as a justification for unethical or illegal actions.

 Why A is Correct:

This accurately represents a common justification for regulatory non-compliance as documented in fraud and compliance research​​.