The Journal of Applied Christian Leadership
By Kelvin Onongha
September 1st, 2014
This is an excerpt of the paper “ Corruption, Culture, and Conversion: The Role of the Church in Correcting a Global Concern”,
Leaders can better understand the breadth and depth of the corruption problem if they examine causes and indicators of corruption, as well as gender and cultural implications of corruption. A summary of how the social sciences view corruption is also helpful. Finally, an example is given of how corruption plays out in a specific cultural context, that of Nigeria.
There is unanimity in the belief that at the heart of the issue of corruption is the nature and selfishness of the human heart.
In other words, the root of the problem with corruption is attributable to defective human character and condition (Caiden, 2001, p. 23). Farrar-Myers (2010) quotes James Madison:
If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary.
In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself.
A dependence on the people is no doubt the primary control on the government; but experience has taught mankind the necessity of auxiliary precautions. (p. 305) I
It is because the political process involves leadership by imperfect persons and with imperfect systems that governance is often riddled with corruption.
There is unanimity in the belief that at the heart of the issue of corruption is the nature and selfishness of the human heart.
it is because the political process involves leadership by imperfect persons and with imperfect systems that governance is often riddled with corruption.
Evidently, the causes for corruption vary between lower income countries and those of the Western nations, due to factors such as poverty, poor governmental infrastructure, and inadequate legal framework.
The major causes for corruption, according to the social sciences, are as follows:
- Public Choice Theory (Rational Choice)-a public official makes a rational choice to be corrupt because advantages outweigh disadvantages.
- Bad Apple Theories-the root cause of corruption is found in defective human character and a disposition to criminal activity.
- Organizational Culture Theories-failure in government machinery leads people to corrupt behavior; that is, group dynamics influences corrupt behavior.
- Clashing Moral Values Theories-values and norms of society influence people, thereby making them corrupt.
- The Ethos of Public Administration Theories-lack of attention to integrity issues rather than “effectiveness” can lead to corruption.
- Correlation Theories-aeveral collective factors (individual, social, political, organizational) contribute to corruption (De graaf, 2007, 45–60).
