How to fight public corruption? Capturing evidence from a fixed effects model for Western European countries

Abstract

Purpose Corruption is a wicked issue affecting public sector organizations across the world. Even though research in this field is blooming, little is known about the strategies that could be implemented to prevent and/or fight the occurrence of public corruption. The purpose of this paper is to fill the extant gaps in the scientific knowledge, providing insights into the strategies that can be use to fight public corruption. Design/methodology/approach Using a longitudinal approach, the paper points out some evidence on the perceived effectiveness of different public governance initiatives in reducing the risks of public corruption in Europe. More specifically, 31 Western European countries were involved in this analysis. The research covered a seven years’ time-span, ranging from January 2010 to December 2016. Findings Rule of law (RL) was found to be an important ingredient of the recipe for successful anti-corruption policies. Conversely, political stability (PS) turned out to entail greater incentives to public corruption. Whilst voice and accountability, government effectiveness, regulatory quality and control of corruption were correlates of perceived anti-corruption performance, they were not found to act as relevant regressors in the panel model. Research limitations/implications The generalizability of the research results is limited by the geographical boundaries of this study; besides, there is the risk that the study findings were affected by the consequences of the recent financial turbulences concerning Western European countries. Practical implications RL is momentous to realize the full potential of anti-corruption policies: in fact, it contributes in reducing the incentives to improperly use public assets, enhancing the proper functioning of public sector organizations. Alternatively, PS may induce public officials and citizens to collude in order to capture public resources. Originality/value The paper contributes in shedding light on the perceived effectiveness of anti-corruption initiatives, paving the way for further conceptual and practical developments.