psychology of corruption
DESCRIPTION
What goes on in the minds of the corrupt.TRANSCRIPT
Psychology of Corruption
S. Kamer
What is Corruption
• The corrupt person want to get non taxable money from people who want to get their work done quickly.
• The corrupt person is already being paid taxable money to do the same work or to prevent the work from getting done.
The Basic Motivation of the Corrupt
• Past experience + Personality = Thinking• The person is born with a certain personality
• While growing up, he has certain past experiences
• This can have an influence on his personality
• This results in a certain thinking pattern which results in corrupt behaviour
Past experience
• Low Socioeconomic Upbringing – • The parents /friends / neighbours/ society live in poverty.
• Selfish Upbringing – • The parents /friends / neighbours/ society do not spend money
easily.
Past experience
• Being with Greedy Crowd – • The parents /friends / neighbours/ society is obsessed with getting
more and more money either to store money in banks or to show others they are wealthy.
• There is Poor leadership, especially by mentors, senior people
• Violent Upbringing – • The parents /friends / neighbours/ society is obsessed with getting
more and more money by violent means or person has suffered violence /abuses by others
Attitude / Personality - Born with or Influenced during upbringing
• Inferiority Complex – • The person has a feeling of low respect towards himself or feels
that people are not paying him enough respect. Believes that money will bring respect.
• Risk taking Behaviour – • Do or die attitude. He wants to live life to the fullest now. Craves
adrenaline high. Believes in ‘no risk no reward’.
Attitude / Personality - Born with or Influenced during upbringing
• Greed – • Greedy for money at all costs
• Superiority Complex – • Believes that he is the most intelligent person born to be great and so
he deserves the money that he gets by any means.
• There is a belief that they will not be caught and that even if caught, punishment will be light
• Revenge –• Believes that it is the fault of others that he is not performing to his full
potential / not happy
Thinking
• Inferiority complex – • I have to get the money anyhow so that people will praise me and
respect me
• Risk taking behaviour – • It does not matter how I get the money as long as I win
Thinking
• Greedy – • It does not matter how I get my money or how other people are
affected as long as I become rich
• Superiority complex – • I am the most intelligent person born to be great and so I deserve
the money that I get by any means
• Revenge – • I will show other people that I am better than them by getting
more money
Levels of corruption
• High level corruption –
• The people at high levels of hierarchy indulge in corruption because
• He gets some part (cut) of the corrupt money of low level employees
• His tolerant attitude towards corruption helps to maintain loyalty among employees to their bosses,
• He can indulge in corruption at a higher level.
• Low level corruption -
• People at low levels of hierarchy indulge in corruption because
• They earn less
• The high levels of hierarchy get some part (cut) of the corrupt money
• They have permission to be corrupt so that government can pay them less income
Types of Corruption
• Soft corruption – • The corruption exists for some people only, less money is involved
and does not lead to violence
• Hard corruption - • The corruption exists for all people, is pervasive, has unofficial
sanction in the society, high amount of money is involved and may lead to violence
Vicious cycle of Corruption
• Activity – experience – peer support—activity• The person indulges in corruption activity
• He gets a positive experience,
• He speaks about it to his peers, mentors, and gets positive feedback and support from them
• So he indulges in more corruption activity
• He can utilise this money to earn more money by getting more people willing to work for him and indulge in corruption.
• Finally it gets social sanction and acceptance. And people follow along the ‘agent’ route to get things done quickly.
Thank You
• This is by no means an exhaustive description.
• If anybody feels that he has anything to add, he can do so.