Transcript Corruption as Cultural Phenomenon: Findings from

Corruption as Cultural
Phenomenon: Findings from
Interviews with Croatian Experts
Kufrin, K., Štulhofer, A., Čaldarović, O.,
Gregurović, M., Odak, I., Detelić, M. &
Glavašević, B.
IUC, Dubrovnik, January 2008
Introduction
• June 2007: operation "Maestro" – the biggest corruption
affair ever reported in Croatia
• Used for political struggles based on metaphors, not on
evidence
• Unclear results; irregularities continue?
• September 2007: (slightly) improved ranking on the TI
Corruption Perception Index
• December 2007 (made public in January 2008): EU
postpones negotiations on Ch. 23 (Judiciary and
fundamental rights); revision of The National Anti-Corruption
Programme needed
• January 2008: Extremely low ranking (37/41 among
European Countries) on The 2008 Index of Economic
Freedom (one of the indicators: freedom from corruption)
• Reshaping the public perception of corruption and anticorruption activities: hope  ambivalence  resignation?
Methodology: General Outline
Trying to respect the main canons of the GT
methodology:
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Theoretical sampling
Interrelated data collection and analysis
Development of concepts
Development of categories through the
comparison
• Development and verification of the hypotheses
• Development of the theory
Data Generation: Participants
Police
Ministry of Interior
City of Zagreb police
Economy
The largest Croatian labour union
Business (a medium-size company)
Croatian Chamber of Commerce
Legal
System
Ministry of Justice
State Attorney's Office for Combating Corruption
Ombudsman’s Office
Politics
The ruling party (high-positioned member and MP)
The strongest opposition party (high-positioned member and MP)
Local government (City of Zagreb; high-positioned official)
Media
The largest state radio
National weekly with the highest circulation
Croatian Journalists’ Association
Civic
Sector
Transparency International
The Partnership for Social Development
Data Generation: Interviews
• Interviewing: between the end of December 2006 and
mid-April 2007 (mostly January 2007)
• Performed by all the team members (training!)
• Semi-structured interviews (interview protocol to be
followed with possible adjustments & extensions)
• Duration 22-84 minutes, 40 minutes on average
• Explicitly stressed out that an interviewee is not
considered to be a representative of his/her institution
• Written statement of anonymity and confidentiality
• Electronic recording followed by immediate
transcription
Data Analysis I
• Initial coding: each interview treated as a
separate hermeneutic unit
• Open coding
• First-level analysis: interviewer & another team
member  agreement (enhanced reliability)
• Extensive discussion, code-by-code, on the first
three coded documents on several team
meetings  revision of the codes, setting
general coding rules to be applied in the
analysis of subsequent documents
• Coded docs from the same target grouped
merged into single hermeneutic unit
Data Analysis II
• Complete hermeneutical unit  axial coding to generate
categories and subcategories
• Categories applied at the final step:
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Definition of corruption
Seriousness of corruption in Croatia
Main loci (areas) of corruption
Changes in corruption dynamics/types
Roots/causes of corruption
Consequences of corruption
Public perception of corruption
Trust in institutions
The role of the media
The role of NGOs
Measures for combating the corruption
The Role of the EU
Results: The Structure
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II.
Defining corruption
Seriousness of corruption
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III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
The level
Main areas affected
Public perception
Dynamics of corruption
Public perception of corruption
Causes of corruption
Major consequences of corruption
Combating corruption
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National action program
The role of the media, NGO, and the EU
Internal control, anti-corruption measures and
mechanisms
Definitions of Corruption
• “Non-transparent (‘politically connected’)
business...
• Abuse of power and authority
• Bribes and/or exchange of favors
• An evil...”
Seriousness of Corruption
• “One of the biggest social problems; we
are a highly corrupt society; C. covers all
the spheres...
• It gets 7, on the scale from 1 to 10
• The perception of C. is exaggerated...”
Dynamics of Corruption
• “No systematic research exists...
• With transition, C. became more complex
and harder to control (not-centralized any
more)
• Maybe we are more sensitive to C. Today
• The media report more today...”
Public Perception
• “Somewhat inflated...
• Petty C. is most usually referred to (the
health system)
• Heavily influenced by the media
(propaganda machinery; fragmentary,
often ignorant and/or politically motivated,
and sensationalist reporting...”
Causes and Sources
• “Cultural tradition of gift giving (?); a culture of corruption
has always existed in this region
• In socialism corruption was almost legal; it was the
period of corruption
• The impact of war (the state and the organized crime)
and transition
• “C. is present wherever the state is the owner... (the
state bureaucracy is the source of political and economic
corruption)... or where is intense interaction between
state and citizens (public administration)
• Most affected areas: health services, construction
industry, politics, judiciary, local government (public
procurement)...”
Major Consequences
• “Growth of the organized crime... It took
over the state...”
• Decreased availability of certain services
• Sense of insecurity, “generalized
pessimism”, opportunism and lack of trust:
“deeply rooted awareness that nothing can
be done without bribe”
• Generalized inequality
• “Corruption destroys the legal system...”
Combating Corruption
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Citizens’ participation (“increasing awareness and readiness”)
Political will (“no willingness to end corruption”)
Lack of systematic approach to combating C.
Proactive approach (“state institutions should start functioning properly”)
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General skepticism toward the new National program and action plans
(“good on paper”, lack of coordination between many partners, “political
pamphlet”, “no political will to implement it”)
Still, the new program is a step ahead in comparison to the old one...
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The role of the media:
– “Also corrupt...; interest only in making money; political agenda; short attention
span, , scandal-oriented journalism (lack of research journalism), non-systematic
approach, and often poor understanding of what C. is; exaggeration
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The role of NGO:
– Often non-transparent activity; NGO role is marginalized
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The role of the EU:
– Positive and important: mechanisms, instructions, and political pressure
– “The EU has not solved large scale corruption any better than we did”; risks
related to globalization...
Fighting Corruption Internally
• Rarely mentioned & lack of attention to...
• Positive thinking, good intentioned people
& informal checks
• Discouragement and disbelief that efficient
mechanisms could be established (the
media group)
• Hyperopic (mis)perception?
TARGET GROUP POLITICS
MAIN LOCI OF C.:
- politics, judiciary, health
system, public procurement and
tenders, construction industry
DYNAMICS:
(a) Change in type of C.
(b) C. has increased / is
stagnating
CAUSES
COMBATING C.:
- strict control of financial
flows
- the importance of
systematic investigation
CORRUPTION
ROLES IN COMBATING C.:
(a) MEDIA: (b) NGOs:
not mentioned
(c) the Public: (d) the EU:
+
CONSEQUENCES
DEFINITIONS:
- corruption is universal
- local culture, mentality, way of
life
- low salaries
- socialist legacy
- transition (especially
privatization)
- the war
- value system crisis
- abuse of power/authority for personal
benefits
- bribery
- organized crime
EVALUATION:
Corruption is a serious problem
- erosion of trust
- suboptimal use of resources
- insecurity
- deterioration of the legal system
The Six Ideal-Types
• The Public Relations model (PR) = simplified & populist definition;
C. is damaging for public image; anti-corruption measures are
chosen according to their PR efficiency
• The Expert model (E) = complex and comprehensive definitions; C.
is viewed as damaging to the social fabric and the economy;
measures are based on best international practice(s)
• The Nuisance model (N) = lack of clear definition; corruption is a
minor and universal difficulty; measures are short-term and lack a
clear focus
• The Human Rights model (HR) = comprehensive definition
emphasizing human rights abuse; C. is a moral, socio-cultural and
economic evil; measures are systematic, rigorous, and transparent
• The Pragmatic model (P) = comprehensive legal-political
definitions; C. is a serious problem but primarily at lower-levels
• The Ignoring model (I) = ad hoc definitions; no clear measures
Ideal-Types and Model Fitting
• Core categories: (1) definition of C.; (2)
seriousness and dynamics of C.; (3) combating
C. and (4) internal mechanisms
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Police = E & P
Politics = E, N (universality of C.) & I
NGOs = E & HR
Legal system = E, PR & I
Economy = E, PR & N
The Media = E, P & HR
Conclusions
• The expert and pragmatic (P) model predominant in
defining corruption and views on combating C.
• The ignoring (I) model was the most frequently
encountered model in the discussion about internal
control and in-house anti-corruption mechanisms
• Wide-spread C. and equally ubiquitous vilification of C.?
Toward a theory of hyperopic (mis)perception of C,
• The role of NGOs is marginalized
• The role of the EU: positive and important (institutional
design, legal innovations and political pressure)