Why Does Corruption Persist in Governments across the World?

Abstract

The study of corruption was slow to take root in the social sciences, but has produced a notably more complete and precise understanding of why corruption persists around the world. This chapter begins with an exploration of some of the most robust findings of the corruption literature in business-related fields. Central to these early studies is the establishment of the role of institutions in shaping behavior within specific geographies and the lasting impact of activity within those geographies on firms that subsequently invest outside of them. The chapter also depicts the inherent challenges of the development context of many of the largest known incidents of government corruption with an exploration of the TSKJ (Technip, Snamprogetti, KBR, Japan Gas) case in Nigeria. The chapter concludes with a summary of the most informative findings of this area of research and a call for the most productive future areas of research.

Citation

Rodriguez, P. (2017), "Why Does Corruption Persist in Governments across the World?", Aßländer, M.S. and Hudson, S. (Ed.) The Handbook of Business and Corruption, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 151-177. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-78635-445-720161010