Corruption in context: What goes wrong in governance

The authors of chapter 2 argue that research on corruption should be focusing on integrity research, which provides a broader framework for understanding the moral dimension of behavior – specifically, to gain insight into the myriad violations of the relevant moral values and norms governing individuals and institutions. They propose a typology of ten different integrity violations that undermine the policymaking/governance process. In their view, it is crucial to understand that such integrity violations occur across the different categories of actors – elite, administrative, and street-level – and at different stages of the policy-making process (agenda setting; throughput, which would include policy preparation and decision-making; and output, whereby decisions are implemented and evaluated). While commendable efforts by governments in advanced societies may lead to rules to uncover and deter corruption and build integrity, rules may be ineffective in implementation, demonstrating that efforts to combat corruption are a continuing crusade, which requires administrative dedication. What is relevant to the moral quality of governance will vary in different social and cultural contexts, opening a research agenda to find out more specifically, what integrity dilemmas, problems, and violations are dominant in different governance processes and systems. While all violations are present everywhere, their prominence, dominance, and acceptance differ, which opens a research agenda on the causes, content, and consequences in different contexts as well as may bring about what type of policies might help to curb corruption and improve integrity.