Social norms and attitudes towards corruption

Baez-Camargo, Claudia; Dufitumukiza, Abel; Kamanyi, Egidius; Kassa, Saba; Lugolobi, Robert; Stahl, Cosimo

doi:10.4324/9780429197352-13

Cited by 4 publications

(7 citation statements)

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“…Corrupt practices—hidden behaviors and taboo subjects as they often are—lend themselves to precisely the kind of false inference explored in this article which can contribute to perverse circumstances in which the majority of individuals privately reject a behavior but nonetheless falsely believe that the majority of others approve of it and fear the consequences of personal deviance. Petty bribery can become self-perpetuating and impede collective action in an environment where people are systematically mistaken about the beliefs of others in their community and truthful and transparent communication is lacking (Baez-Camargo et al 2017).…”

Section: Corruption and Pluralistic Ignorancementioning

confidence: 99%

Petty bribery, pluralistic ignorance, and the collective action problem

Hoffmann

Patel

2023

Data & Policy

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Bribery for access to public goods and services remains a widespread and seemingly innocuous practice which disproportionately targets the poor and helps keep them poor. Furthermore, its aggregate effects erode the legitimacy of government institutions and their capacity to fairly administer public goods and services as well as protection under the law. Drawing on original evidence using social norms methodology, this research tests underlying beliefs and expectations which sustain persistent forms of bribery and draws attention to the presence of pluralistic ignorance and consequent collective action problems. With examples focused on bribery in traffic law enforcement, healthcare, and education—three critical areas where bribery is often identified as an entrenched practice—this article contributes new evidence of: (a) the presence of pluralistic ignorance, a common social comparison error, surrounding bribery behavior; (b) differing social evaluations of bribe-solicitation; and finally, (c) how this context might exacerbate collective action problems. This empirical case study of Nigeria shows that even though more people are likely to be directly affected by bribery during routine interactions with public officials and institutions and many believe this practice is wrong, most people incorrectly believe that others in their community tolerate or even accept bribery behavior.

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Section: Corruption and Pluralistic Ignorancementioning

confidence: 99%

Petty bribery, pluralistic ignorance, and the collective action problem

Hoffmann

Patel

2023

Data & Policy

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“…For example, a corrupt person who is rich and helps others is respected, while a person who is poor but adheres to the laws is considered useless. Several studies have found a fear of losing status to be a strong driver of behaviours associated with corruption (Baez Camargo et al, 2017a, Baez Camargo et al, 2021, Burgess et al, 2018.…”

Section: Social Norms and Corruptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One of the relevant mental models associated with corruption encountered during research conducted by the Basel Institute on Governance and TRAFFIC concerns national identity and the images it conjures in the collective imagination (Baez Camargo, 2017;Burgess et al, 2018). This was particularly notable in the case of Uganda (Baez Camargo et al, 2017a), where research participants provided examples of expressions used to solicit a bribe that included the command to "act like a Ugandan". Most of them associated "Ugandaness" with corruption, bribery, being driven by money, astuteness, and sharp-mindedness.…”

Section: Mental Models and Corruptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Most of them associated "Ugandaness" with corruption, bribery, being driven by money, astuteness, and sharp-mindedness. Conversely, Rwandan participants identified national identity with values of integrity and protecting the collective good (Baez Camargo et al, 2017b). In Uganda, people commonly justified their actions by making reference to the many corruption scandals involving high-level political figures, on the grounds that if the elites can benefit from corruption why should average citizens not do so too?…”

Section: Mental Models and Corruptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Working Paper 39: Behavioural drivers of corruption facilitating illegal wildlife trade

Camargo

Burgess²

2022

Work. pap. ser. (Basel Inst. Gov.)

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This Problem Analysis is a review of the efficacy and opportunities for using social norm and behaviour change (SNBC) approaches to combat illegal wildlife trade (IWT) and other natural resource-related corruption. Behavioural science is a rich and expansive field that has received prominent coverage in recent years for the promise it offers as a foundational yet underutilised approach to achieving biodiversity conservation. Extensive literature shows how SNBC initiatives can help combat diverse corruption problems, although for those related to natural resource management the evidence for doing so is sparse. This report synthesises the available information and suggests the next steps to redress this current lack of evidence. It seeks to: Understand what SNBC approaches might or might not work in fighting corruption. Identify entry points for designing SNBC interventions that can effectively reduce corruption related to IWT. This Analysis has been produced in association with the Targeting Natural Resource Corruption (TNRC) project. The TNRC project is working to improve biodiversity outcomes by helping practitioners to address the threats posed by corruption to wildlife, fisheries and forests. TNRC harnesses existing knowledge, generates new evidence, and supports innovative policy and practice for more effective anti-corruption programming. Learn more at tnrcproject.org. This publication is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID, the United States Government, or individual TNRC consortium members.

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“…Those that focus on front-line providers within health and education ask about the roles that rule breaking plays in the face of severe structural constraints and whether, in some contexts, it is possible to be rule abiding and provide a service. This has led to an examination of ‘problem-solving corruption’, which are understood to be driven by the inadequacies of the system rather than the private interests of immoral individuals 26 32 33. One approach, which draws on Khan’s political settlements theory and ideas of developmental governance, has been seen as particularly useful for health systems and policy research .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is it possible for drug shops to abide by the formal rules? The structural determinants of community medicine sales in Uganda

et al. 2023

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The medicines retail sector is an essential element of many health systems in Africa and Asia, but it is also well known for poor practice. In the literature, it is recognised that improvements in the sector can only be made if more effective forms of governance and regulation can be identified. Recent debate suggests that interventions responsive to structural constraints that shape and underpin poor practice is a useful way forward. This paper presents data from a mixed-methods study conducted to explore regulation and the professional, economic and social constraints that shape rule breaking among drug shops in one district in Uganda. Our findings show that regulatory systems are undermined by frequent informal payments, and that although drug shops are often run by qualified staff, many are unlicensed and sell medicines beyond their legal permits. Most shops have either a small profit or a loss and rely on family and friends for additional resources as they compete in a highly saturated market. We argue that in the current context, drug shop vendors are survivalist entrepreneurs operating in a market in which it is extremely difficult to abide by policy, remain profitable and provide a service to the community. Structural changes in the medicines market, including removing unqualified sellers and making adjustments to policy are likely prerequisite if drug shops are to become places where individuals can earn a living, abide by the rules and facilitate access to medicines for people living in some of the world’s poorest countries.

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Social norms and attitudes towards corruption

Cited by 4 publications

References 0 publications

Petty bribery, pluralistic ignorance, and the collective action problem

Petty bribery, pluralistic ignorance, and the collective action problem

Working Paper 39: Behavioural drivers of corruption facilitating illegal wildlife trade

Is it possible for drug shops to abide by the formal rules? The structural determinants of community medicine sales in Uganda

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