Linking cultural dimensions with the nature of corruption: An institutional theory perspective

Abstract

This article analyses the interaction between cultural dimensions and the nature of corruption as understanding governance issues from a cross-national perspective is becoming increasingly important. Drawing on institutional theory and recent conceptions of the nature of corruption, the study advances formal propositions for a framework that links dimensions of national culture with the pervasiveness and arbitrariness of corruption in the institutions of a nation. We argue that national culture (a macro-level variable) can mediate discretion and accountability (both micro-level variables) — thereby engendering either arbitrariness or pervasiveness in corruption. In advancing these propositions, it is acknowledged that national culture is an important macro-variable that influences corruption. This is important to scholarship in cross-cultural management because cross-national differences are best understood by considering both national differences and social institutions.