Basic factors of corruption

Corruption is one of essential threats in every society as it affects all areas of society and penetrates both public and private sectors. It affects states characterised by economic and market stability with long-term developed democracy, as well as states which are only in the process of achieving such status, irrespective of the existing state system.

Expressions of specific forms of corruptions and possibilities of occurrence thereof are influenced, in particular, by social changes, formal rules involving legislative and institutional support to fighting corruption, quality of the general government, control mechanisms, as well as level in informal rules. It can be concluded that corruptive behaviour, in its specific forms, results from the process of interaction of relevant social factors.

Corruption in various forms occurs across the whole society, it affects the existing political representation, the general government, but also cultural and sporting life. Corruptive forms of behaviour and their characteristics in various areas of action are various. Factors relevant for occurrence of corruption can be generalized so that a room for corruptive behaviour is, in particular, created by monopoly of power, freedom in decision-making, low level of transparency, ineffective general government, insufficient level of integrity and persisting deficiencies in the state regulatory and control systems.  

 Sociological factors of corruption

In sociological view, corruption is an expression of a deviant behaviour, ignoring common standards, non-accepting what is required from individuals, deviating from formal obligations and rules. Such behaviour is targeted to winning certain privilege for the corrupting person himself/herself, his/her family, relatives or friends to the detriment of the public. Most frequently, reason for corruption is financial benefit, although it can also be other material or immaterial benefit, such as political capital or other privileges or services.

Corruption, as a negative social phenomenon, is profiled as a relationship between at least two players cooperating at exchanging “goods”. Corrupt practices may become various forms, however, as the essential relationship can be regarded the relationship between the one having the power to decide or control and the beneficiary of the corruption. Occurrence of specific forms of corruption is closely related to the environment providing a good breeding ground and conditions for corruption. Corruption occurs, in particular, at decision-making processes, allocation of financial funds, public procurement, competitive bidding, at granting state contracts, transfers of state property, granting subsidies.

Corrupt behaviour can be viewed and considered as a complex of social relations and failures of entities and institutions. It can be concluded that corruption occurs when legal rules, regulatory and control systems and informal social rules make corrupt behaviour possible or neglect it. Situations when, rather than being punished, corrupt behaviour is systematically tolerated, encourage further expansion thereof. In such cases, managers start losing scruples when it comes to winning a privilege without a legal entitlement, violation of social justice, destabilisation of social relations and, in particular, decay of moral values in the society.

A climate of corruption is also formed by citizens, namely by their negligence to symptoms of corruption. The present society tends to be focused on individual freedom with material values being in the centre of attention and overshadowing aspects of ethics and integrity. Prevails inadequate social tolerance to corrupt behaviour, lack of willingness to report existing corrupt behaviour and bear witness against suspected persons. In general, the willingness to participate in management of public matters is undersized.

Psychological aspects of corrupt behaviour

Pursuit of corrupt behaviour with the aim easier achievement of goals without the necessity to observe rules, always used to be and still is a natural component of human nature. Corruption, as a negative social phenomenon, is governed by the rate of benefit compared to the risk associated thereto. If, in a democratic and legally consistent state, law enforcing authorities punish corruption despite the fact that the rate of return on corruption is a tempting way of improving one’s economic profile, the risk of detection and subsequent criminal proceedings exceed the expected rate of return. The rate of corruption in such countries is lower compared to non-democratic governments.

Factors having impact on the level of corruption include, but is not limited to, disproportion between people’s needs and available possibilities how to satisfy the needs. The risk of illegal behaviour persists while unsatisfied wishes of individuals or groups outweigh the existing value, ethic and legal rules. In the existing case, corruption failures express disproportion between the ideal requirement for equality among people and their real social or economic inequality.

Corruption as a predicative stereotype

Besides violation of legal and ethical rules, pathological aspects of corruption include also extensive economic and, in particular, social consequences. Corruption is detrimental to the entire society as acts of corruption distort normal and natural state of affairs. The extent of harm to public interests is the benchmark for identification and evaluation of the climate of corruption in a society.

Social links within the existing climate of corruption provide room for tolerance of corruption. Such links also bring particular social deformities historically rooted and reasoned by the existing cultural environment in the society. That is also supported by the fact that, in many cases, symptoms of corruption are perceived as a predicative corrupt practice, rather than a real requirement.

Results of researches that have been carried out show that entities of both private and business sectors, which have been involved in corruption, usually claimed that the bribe has not been explicitly required, however they assumed the necessity to provide it. In such cases, corrupt practices are driven by predicative corrupt rules resulting from the existing social relations, the existing climate of corruption and historical and social circumstances.

Corruption as a global problem

The international nature of corruption reflects the high level of hazard of this phenomenon. Not even the most developed democratic countries, whether in the European or in global context, are immune from corruption. The EU enlargement policy contributed to economic and political coherence of countries, thus strengthening the aspect of globalization of the society. Influence of new power, intensity thereof, interference and flexibility enabled establishing a global corruption system tied to supranational corporations and international institutions and forms of corruptions related thereto. These entities have available a considerable financial capital and instruments to penetrate general government structures in order to influence them and to interfere in political decisions.

Many international organizations and institutions are aware of severity of consequences resulting from a cross-border corruption. Those organizations and institutions intensify their efforts for adoption of effective instruments allowing for a concerted action in elimination of corruption and negative effects thereof on economic and social relations on both national level and international community level.

An important role in this process is played by international conventions and recommendations adopted by the United Nations Organization, the Council of Europe, the European Union and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Through development of international policies, adoption of international documents and implementation of anti-corruption reforms, supranational organizations aim to ensure development of the uniform anti-corruption framework to prevent spread of this negative social phenomenon in the international environment.

Please, remember that:

• Corruption in various forms is reflected across the whole society, it affects the political representation, the general government as well as cultural and sporting life.
• A corrupt behaviour is aimed at obtaining certain privilege for the person himself/herself, his/her family, relatives or friends at the detriment of the rest of the society.
• From sociological view, corruption can be characterized as a social relationship of at least two entities cooperating upon exchange of goods.
• Most frequently, reason for corruption is financial benefit, although it can also be other material or immaterial benefit, such as political capital or other privileges or services.
• A bribe does not need to be explicitly solicited, occurrence thereof may be conditioned by a predicative corrupt practice in the existing climate of corruption in the society.