The perpetuation of bribery–prone relationships: A study from Vietnamese public officials

Thang V. Nguyen, Minh H. Doan and Nhung H. Tran

Public Administration & Development, 2021, vol. 41, issue 5, 244-256

Abstract: Studies of bribery have not adequately considered individual psychological processes in the development of bribery–prone relationships. We propose an integration of moral disengagement and the norm of reciprocity as a theoretical lens to explain the evolvement of bribery–prone relationships. Based on qualitative data from a sample of government officials in Vietnam, we found that public officials normally go through a “calculative judgment”, experience a certain level of emotional discomfort and then use rationalization strategies to decide whether to engage in a bribery–prone exchange or relationship. Furthermore, these psychological processes are distinctive in the initiation and perpetuation stages of a bribery–prone relationship. The study suggests that interactions of the norm of reciprocity and wider ethical norms in governing bribery should be further addressed by both researchers and practitioners.

Date: 2021
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https://doi.org/10.1002/pad.1961

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:wly:padxxx:v:41:y:2021:i:5:p:244-256

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