Title: A global examination of country-level factors impacting corruption

Authors: Mohammad I. Merhi; Punit Ahluwalia

Addresses: Department of Decision Sciences, Judd Leighton School of Business and Economics, Indiana University South Bend, 1700 Mishawaka Avenue, South Bend, IN 46634, USA ' Department of Information Systems, Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, 201 W. University Dr., Edinburg, TX, 78539, USA

Abstract: Corruption is a widely discussed phenomenon in news media, public policy debates, among social activists and within governments. In recent years, it has been suggested that greater use of digital technologies can lower corruption. This paper attempts to explore this question and find out some of the relevant relationships between macro-level factors and country level levels of corruption. Secondary data published by the United Nations, Transparency International, and other similar organisations is used to analyse and confirm the proposed relationships. The results show that telecommunication, freedom of press, and e-participation are critical antecedents to corruption. The paper also examines indirect relationships between macro level actors and corruption. The results and their implications are discussed for research and practitioners.

Keywords: cross-country analysis; corruption perceptions; information and communication technologies; e-participation; human capital; freedom of press.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPSPM.2021.117710

International Journal of Public Sector Performance Management, 2021 Vol.8 No.1/2, pp.5 - 17

Received: 28 Jan 2019
Accepted: 02 Jul 2019
Published online: 22 Sep 2021 *

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