The Role of the Anti-Corruption Management System in Creating a Corruption-Resistant Environment Within Lithuanian State-Owned Enterprises

Abstract

The fight against corruption is one of the essential tasks of each state, requiring conceptual, complex legal, organisational, educational, and social measures. The Article aims to assess the impact of the anti-corruption management system operating on the basis of the ISO 37001:2016 standard as an international instrument on national segments: corruption resistance models developed by Lithuanian state-owned enterprises. The National Anti-Corruption Programme 2015-2025 aims to reduce the extent of corruption and increase transparency in the public and private sectors, it also strives for Lithuania to score at least 70 points on the Corruption Perceptions Index 2025. Ambitiously working towards even greater progress in creating a corruption-resistant environment, Lithuania adopted a new Law on Prevention of Corruption (hereinafter � the LPC), obliging companies and organisations to step up their anti-corruption measures, increasingly and systematically focusing on employee reliability, implementation of targeted preventive measures, and raising awareness. The study analysed the role of the anti-corruption management system in creating a corruption-resistant environment and the positive impact thereof on increasing transparency of the largest Lithuanian state-owned company1 AB Lietuvos Gelezinkeliai (hereinafter � LTG group of companies), the shareholder of which is the Lithuanian state. Due to the geopolitical situation, the group of companies has to expand its activities to the West; therefore, the anti-corruption management system will also help it adapt to the change. The implementation of the anti-corruption management system allows the organisation to conceptually meet the highest transparency standards through four main dimensions: the systematic nature of the measures to be applied; increasing involvement and maturity of human resources; reputational unity and trustbased relationship with the public and business partners; ability to meet the expectations of the state as a shareholder. Having chosen the LTG group of companies as the largest state-owned enterprise, the Article aims to assess the role of its corruption-resistant environment and the impact thereof on the group�s activities. The LTG group of companies adheres to the zerotolerance approach to corruption, meaning that it does not tolerate any form of corruption and takes targeted preventive measures to curb the manifestations of corruption. The group implements all corruption prevention measures in compliance with the legal acts and considers the prevailing practices. The group is currently implementing an anti-corruption management system based on the international standard ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Management Systems � Requirements with Guidance for Use. The research aims to assess the role of the anti-corruption management system in creating a corruption-resistant environment in some state-owned enterprises. To realise the aim, the authors of the paper set two key objectives: 1. To analyse the main goals and features of the anti-corruption management system. 2. To overview the main anti-corruption measures implemented in some stateowned enterprises