Dimensions that characterize and mechanisms that cause the misuse of information systems for corrupt practices in the Nigerian public sector

Abstract

This article explores the dimensions and structural mechanisms that can foster the misuse of information systems (IS) for corrupt practices. Using the abductiveretroductive strategy native to critical realism, we present a realist conceptualization of why the misuse of IS for corrupt practices occurs in the Nigerian public sector. Routine activity, reintegrative shaming, model of emergent IT use, and normalization theories were adopted as theoretical lenses. Danermark et al's six-stage explanatory framework embedded with a single case study was adopted as the methodology. Focus group and semistructured interviews were used as primary sources of data, while archival documents and press media reports were used as secondary data sources. From the data analysis, malleability structures of the IS artifacts, dysfunctional structures of the Nigerian state, embeddedness of corrupt routines into IS artifacts, institutionalization, socialization, rationalization, and negative reintegrative shaming were identified as core causal structural mechanisms generating the misuse of IS for corrupt practices in the study context. Such corrupt practices were clustered in motivated offenders, suitable targets, and absence of a capable guardian as dimensions that characterized the misuse of IS by our findings. Our findings contribute to theory, practice, and the methodology of critical realism.

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