Corruption as a social process

In this article, John Warburton will argue that understanding corruption as a social process has implications and advantages that provides insights about the way corruption functions. he suggests that such insights can also inform corruption prevention programs. The orthodox way to approach corruption these days is to examine the institutions and systems that allow corruption occurs. Warburton believes that corruption prevention programs is that corrupt networks and social networks look similar to each other and function in the same way. We all operate in a world of differentiated social networks based on communication, personalised relations and shared interests. To act socially is a human need. It is simply not realistic to believe that rational managerialism can prevent the creation of social networks involving public sector agency officials. To radically restrict personalised human interaction would reduce efficiency in public sector agencies to such a low level as to make them non viable. Weber’s totally rational bureaucracy is an idealised fiction that is neither possible nor desirable. The challenge for anti corruption agencies is to attempt to formulate a model of bureaucracy and policy formulation that can integrate the reality of personalised relations and social networks whilst ensuring decisions are always made in the interests of the ‘the public’ alone.