Breaking up male‐dominated collusive arrangements: Women's representation in bureaucracy and corruption

Abstract

We investigate the impact of women's representation in bureaucracy on corruption. In this study, we demonstrate how women bureaucrats' experiences in male‐dominated workplaces contribute to curbing corruption. To do this, we investigate three dimensions of women's representation (average share, average rank, and hierarchical dispersion) in South Korean regional governments. Empirical evidence shows that the higher women bureaucrats are ranked, the more bureaucrats are disciplined against misbehaviors and the lower the corruption risks are in public procurement. The findings imply that having women bureaucrats at higher ranks reduces corruption risks because they disrupt male‐dominated collusive arrangements and abide by ethical standards to legitimize their leadership.