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1 – 10 of over 2000
Article
Publication date: 6 August 2020

King Carl Tornam Duho, Cletus Agyenim-Boateng, Emmanuel Tetteh Asare and Joseph Mensah Onumah

The purpose of this study is to examine the convergence and determinants of anti-corruption disclosures of extractive firms in Africa.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the convergence and determinants of anti-corruption disclosures of extractive firms in Africa.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses an unbalanced panel data of 27 firms operating in 5 African countries covering the period 2006 to 2018. Corporate data is collected from the global reporting initiative (GRI) database. The study uses an index to measure overall disclosure and individual items are coded as binary. The study uses fixed effects, panel logistic and panel-corrected standard error regression, depending on the type of dependent variable used.

Findings

The results indicate that the determinants of anti-corruption disclosure are membership in the United Nations global compact (UNGC) and Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative, multi-national enterprise status, corruption perception index and human development index (HDI). Specifically, UNGC membership and multi-national status enhance the disclosure on corruption analysis. Countries with a high prevalence of corruption tend to disclose more on corruption analysis. Disclosure on corruption training is high among firms that are UNGC signatories, countries with a high HDI and countries with a high prevalence of corruption. There is a weak effect of firm-level, industry-level and country-level factors on disclosures on corruption response.

Research limitations/implications

The study provides insights on the use of GRI 205: Anti-Corruption, which has relevant implications for practitioners, policymakers and the academic community.

Originality/value

This study is premier in exploring anti-corruption disclosure with a special focus on extractive firms in Africa. It is also unique in providing a test of both beta and sigma convergence among the firms.

Details

Journal of Financial Crime, vol. 30 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1359-0790

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 October 2018

Hendi Yogi Prabowo and Suhernita Suhernita

Based on the authors’ study, the purpose of this paper is to establish a foundation for assessing and deciding the most feasible corruption prevention activities with significant…

Abstract

Purpose

Based on the authors’ study, the purpose of this paper is to establish a foundation for assessing and deciding the most feasible corruption prevention activities with significant impact in reducing corruption in the Indonesian public sector. To accomplish this objective, this paper applies multiple theoretical perspectives simultaneously to better understand the behavioral aspects of corruption prevention strategy in Indonesia.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is part of the authors’ study to assess the corruption problem in the Indonesian public sector in the past decade primarily through examination of major corruption cases to highlight various behavioral issues that became the root causes of rampaging corruption in the country. This paper also discusses how such issues undermine the effectiveness of the existing corruption prevention strategy as well as how to properly address them.

Findings

The authors establish that there are numerous overlooked behavioral issues that have rendered existing corruption prevention measures in the Indonesian public sector ineffective in hampering the regeneration of corruption. Gaining sufficient understanding on how public officials’ view on corruption is shaped by their culture and society is crucial in ascertaining what needs to be done to prevent corruption from reoccurring in the future. This study demonstrates that transformative learning needs to be systematically carried out to re-engineer organizational mindset to make it intolerant to corruption which includes unlearning the embedded knowledge of corruption. To support the execution of organizational unlearning discernment must be exercised to enable anti-corruption messages to be sent to the target groups. Nevertheless, due to various inherent behavioral issues within the Indonesian public institutions stimulating anti-corruption discernment is in itself a profound challenge. To promote anti-corruption discernment in the Indonesian public sector, this study proposes the Shame-oriented Anti-corruption Discernment Stimulation (SADS) which focuses on the “management of shame” in stimulating anti-corruption discernment within public institutions in Indonesia.

Research limitations/implications

This study is self-funded and is relying primarily on documentary analysis in highlighting the behavioral issues that determine the success and failure of corruption prevention strategy in Indonesia. Future studies may benefit from interviews with experts in Indonesian culture as well as indigenous people who can offer a broader view on how self-conscious emotions such as shame and guilt are actually experienced in different regions in Indonesia.

Practical implications

This paper contributes to the development of corruption prevention strategy by proposing a framework for systematically stimulating anti-corruption discernment within organizations that are part of collectivistic societies.

Originality/value

This paper highlights the importance of behavior-oriented approaches in mitigating corruption in the Indonesian public sector.

Details

Journal of Financial Crime, vol. 25 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1359-0790

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 26 November 2013

Ian Scott

The implicit assumption underlying the work of most anti-corruption agencies (ACAs) is that they need to change public attitudes toward corruption to ensure a cleaner future. The…

Abstract

The implicit assumption underlying the work of most anti-corruption agencies (ACAs) is that they need to change public attitudes toward corruption to ensure a cleaner future. The means of achieving this objective usually rest on sanctions, prevention, and sermons. Changing attitudes is seen to be largely a matter of prosecuting the corrupt, putting preventive measures in place, emphasizing the negative social and criminal consequences of corruption, and exhorting the public to achieve higher moral standards. Engaging the public is rarely undertaken directly. If it were, it would entail a community relations approach based on face-to-face, decentralized interaction between the ACA and the public. In principle, this approach might have three significant advantages. First, it could enable the anti-corruption message to be communicated more directly and, possibly, more effectively. Second, it might assist the ACA in identifying groups within the community which have developed, or are developing, attitudes which are potentially antithetical to its objectives. Third, it could serve as a springboard for local anti-corruption initiatives which might help to embed desired practices in the community or groups within it. In this chapter, we examine the extent to which one of the few agencies to adopt a full-blown community relations strategy – Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) – has been able to achieve those benefits.

Details

Different Paths to Curbing Corruption
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78190-731-3

Article
Publication date: 25 January 2021

Emmanuel Tetteh Asare, King Carl Tornam Duho, Cletus Agyenim-Boateng, Joseph Mensah Onumah and Samuel Nana Yaw Simpson

This study aims to examine the effect of anti-corruption disclosure on the profitability and financial stability of extractive firms in Africa. It also tests the convergence of…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine the effect of anti-corruption disclosure on the profitability and financial stability of extractive firms in Africa. It also tests the convergence of profitability and financial stability.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses an unbalanced panel data of 27 firms operating in five African countries covering the period 2006–2018. Anti-corruption assessment is done in line with GRI 205: Anti-Corruption. Profitability is measured using the return on asset and return on equity, whereas the z-score measures financial stability. The study uses the panel-corrected error regression technique for estimation.

Findings

There is evidence that corruption disclosure reduces the financial stability of firms. Disclosures on corruption analysis and corruption training are the main factors driving the reduction in financial stability. The effect on profitability is not significant except in the case of disclosure on corruption response, which also reduces profitability. There is strong statistical evidence to suggest that profitability and financial stability of extractive firms converge. This suggests that less-performing firms catch up with high performers.

Research limitations/implications

The study has relevant implications for practitioners, policymakers and the academic community. The study uses data that is skewed towards large extractive firms.

Originality/value

This study is premier in exploring the effect of anti-corruption disclosure on performance metrics among extractive firms in Africa. It is also unique in providing a test of both beta and sigma convergence of performance among the firms.

Book part
Publication date: 8 November 2004

Denita Cepiku

The primary aim of this chapter is to offer an overview of corruption and state capture in Albanian public administration and to describe the solutions adopted to fight corruption…

Abstract

The primary aim of this chapter is to offer an overview of corruption and state capture in Albanian public administration and to describe the solutions adopted to fight corruption by the government since 1998. Conflict of interest is a new aspect of concern in the policy agendas. OECD countries have recently adopted some guidelines for managing the phenomenon, which will be then transferred to eastern European countries. Given this novelty, this chapter does not deal directly with conflict of interest situations. Corruption is rarely treated as a management problem, in part because for obvious reasons as data are scarce and also because the literature is thin and tentative, with few theoretical frameworks. Also rare is analysis of how corruption has been or might be reduced. The state of research on corruption is such that there is little inductive theory or statistical evidence about the kinds of policies that work under particular conditions.

Details

Strategies for Public Management Reform
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-84950-218-4

Article
Publication date: 11 April 2016

Sophal Ear

The purpose of this paper is to provide a critical analysis and survey of Cambodia’s recent efforts to combat corruption. It explores the policy context, perceived extent of…

1009

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a critical analysis and survey of Cambodia’s recent efforts to combat corruption. It explores the policy context, perceived extent of corruption, causes of corruption, anti-corruption measures, evaluates those anti-corruption measures, and provides policy recommendations.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper reviews the literature on corruption and anti-corruption efforts in Cambodia. It relies on available data from the World Bank and Transparency International, and compares these data over time.

Findings

The paper shows that corruption in Cambodia is pervasive and that anti-corruption efforts are limited because of a lack of political will. Existing anti-corruption measures designed with loopholes must be amended, but implementation remains the primary challenge.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the limited literature on combating corruption in Cambodia.

Details

Asian Education and Development Studies, vol. 5 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-3162

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 January 2008

Edward Fokuoh Ampratwum

The purpose of this paper is to survey current academic and policy debates on combating corruption and the implications of the various international initiatives on social and…

5202

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to survey current academic and policy debates on combating corruption and the implications of the various international initiatives on social and economic development in both developing and transition economies.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reviews a range of published articles (1967‐2005), which provide theoretical and practical research on corruption and development. Themes discussed ranged from: conceptualization of corruption, causes of corruption, effects of corruption, perception and measurement of corruption, aid and corruption, and international efforts at combating corruption.

Findings

Provides information on each author's perspectives on corruption, aid and development. The paper generally concedes the wastefulness of corruption. Corruption directly impedes progress towards the common poverty reduction objectives of both donor agencies and aid recipient countries.

Practical implications

A very useful source of information drawing on thoroughly researched papers on corruption and the efforts at ridding society off its effects. The paper provides an impartial motivation to policy makers in re‐examining existing international tools for combating corruption in developing and transition economies.

Originality/value

The paper fulfils an identified need to digress from the neo‐liberal approach to corruption and adopt a more nuanced and institutional‐based reviews of the concept of corruption and consequently efforts (by both governmental and non‐governmental international organizations) at combating it. While the paper recognizes that corruption wastes and misallocates resources from the most socially useful projects towards those that are beneficial to bribers and corrupt public officials, it nonetheless asserts that the misguided approaches to corruption only creates more bottlenecks that stifles development in the developing and transition economies.

Details

Journal of Money Laundering Control, vol. 11 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1368-5201

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 June 2019

Cristina Maria Stanica and Maria Aristigueta

New Public Governance is becoming an important framework for managing the public sector in the era of collaborative governance. The purpose of this paper is to explore the extent…

Abstract

Purpose

New Public Governance is becoming an important framework for managing the public sector in the era of collaborative governance. The purpose of this paper is to explore the extent to which New Public Governance as a framework is limited to the political and administrative context of Romania and to create a connection between good governance and New Public Governance through operationalizing the concepts and clarifying their inter-dependency. New public leadership skills are required from both horizontal and vertical approaches, in order to tackle the country’s wicked problems.

Design/methodology/approach

Through the use of qualitative methods, such as document analysis of Cooperation and Verification Mechanism reports of the European Commission on Romania, and expert interviews with a focus on governance aspects, the paper seeks to clarify the challenges that Romania faces in terms of democratization given the current political and administrative context.

Findings

Findings in Romania reveal little agreement on progress in government effectiveness, regulatory quality and implementation of the rule of law. However, progress has been noted on voice and accountability and strengthening democracy.

Research limitations/implications

The authors discuss the uncertainty that the concept of good governance has created from an international organizations’ perspective in developing countries, and define the good governance infrastructure as a means of bringing governance closer to the complex and changing context of each country. The paper aims to clarify the connection between good governance and New Public Governance, by assessing contextual factors in developing countries.

Practical implications

The practical implications of the study are related to the possibility of this paper to inform other developing countries on the conditions that are necessary in order to adhere to New Public Governance. The paper has implications in proposing the use of the good governance infrastructure as a helpful concept when considering democratic frameworks for research and practice.

Social implications

The social implications of this paper are connected to the current political, administrative and social context of the Central and Eastern European region and its component countries. Improving democratic practices, through advancing the importance of good governance indicators in switching to a public governance perspective in public administration, is the main outcome of New Public Governance-style reforms.

Originality/value

The paper’s originality stands in designing the premises for the “good governance infrastructure” as a new concept that aims to bridge the gap between good governance and New Public Governance, and bring more conceptual clarity. Being supported by evidence, through the use of primary data generated by expert interview analysis, the new concept can improve and encourage further research on this topic.

Details

International Journal of Public Leadership, vol. 15 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-4929

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 26 January 2011

Jeannine E. Relly

Government corruption and secrecy are not new phenomena in Africa; however, international scrutiny has grown as nations end decades of conflict and seek to develop, donor nations…

Abstract

Government corruption and secrecy are not new phenomena in Africa; however, international scrutiny has grown as nations end decades of conflict and seek to develop, donor nations consider providing more aid, and investors and transnational corporations look to the area for oil and other resources. Given that corrupt government activities account for millions of dollars diverted from public coffers each year in developing nations and lead to unfair benefit distribution to citizens, the chapter examines the global network of actors attempting to advance the international norm of government accountability to constrain corruption through advocating for the adoption of access-to-information legislation. The chapter also explores the relationship between perception of corruption in Africa and four political institutions of vertical accountability. The findings indicate that perception of corruption is inversely correlated with news media rights, civil liberties, and political rights. However, adopting access-to-information legislation or planning to adopt the law was not correlated with the perception of corruption.

Article
Publication date: 28 January 2020

Hendi Yogi Prabowo

The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential of computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software (CAQDAS) to support qualitative evaluation of corruption prevention…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential of computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software (CAQDAS) to support qualitative evaluation of corruption prevention initiatives, especially those focusing on behavioral changes. To achieve this objective, this paper applies the principles of qualitative inquiries to establish a foundation for developing effective means for evaluating behavior-oriented corruption prevention initiatives in Indonesia.

Design/methodology/approach

Through exploratory study, this paper assesses current corruption prevention evaluation practice in the Indonesian public sector to highlight major deficiencies thereof primarily through examination of publicly available documents on anti-corruption practice in Indonesia. Furthermore, this paper also discusses how qualitative methods using CAQDAS may strengthen the existing anti-corruption regime by aiding decision-makers to better evaluate the success or failure of their corruption prevention initiatives in particular those aiming for behavioral changes. To illustrate how a qualitative data analysis application can support anti-corruption evaluators, NVivo will be used as a reference from which multiple analytical tools will be discussed to highlight their potential for qualitative qualitative analysis analysis in corruption prevention evaluation.

Findings

The author establishes that the existing quantitative measures of evaluation are insufficient in generating a comprehensive picture of the success or failure of the existing anti-corruption initiatives in Indonesia. Evidences suggest that the existing quantitative measures appear to be unable to cope with the growing complexity of various corruption problems in the country in particular to those related to organizational culture and behavior. Despite the numerous behavior-oriented initiatives to reduce the risk of corruption in the Indonesia public sector, it is still unclear if such initiatives actually have made a difference in preventing corruption, as many of their elements cannot be measured quantitatively. Therefore, the author believe that deeper insights into corruption problems can be obtained through proper qualitative assessments in which evaluators play the role as the primary analytical instrument. To enhance evaluators’ capability in obtaining and analyzing qualitative data, the author proposes the use of CAQDAS and the evaluation of corruption prevention initiatives. With a special reference to NVivo, the author argues that using CAQDAS will enable evaluators to conduct qualitative analysis more efficiently to identify patterns within the data, as it offers various tools to look deeper into context, diversity, nuance and process so as to gain deeper understanding of the meaning of human action and how it may affect the risk of corruption within organizations.

Research limitations/implications

This study is self-funded and is relying primarily on documentary analysis in assessing the existing corruption prevention evaluation measures in Indonesia. Future studies may benefit from in-depth interviews with anti-corruption evaluators in particular from the country’s anti-corruption agency.

Practical implications

This paper contributes to the development of corruption prevention strategy by proposing a framework for systematically performing qualitative evaluation on behavior-oriented corruption prevention initiatives.

Originality/value

This paper highlights the importance of qualitative measures in evaluating behavior-oriented corruption prevention initiatives in the Indonesian public sector.

Details

Journal of Financial Crime, vol. 27 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1359-0790

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 2000