Mea culpa – the role of religion in corruption perception

Ivan  Valdovinos-Hernandez; Mike  Szymanski; Karina  Grabowska

doi:10.23762/FSO_VOL7_NO3_4

Published : 2019-09-30

Vol. 7 No. 3 (2019)

Mea culpa – the role of religion in corruption perception

Ivan Valdovinos-Hernandez

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6319-1735

Mike Szymanski

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2215-6909

Karina Grabowska

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3134-9753

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23762/FSO_VOL7_NO3_4

Abstract

Corruption, i.e. an abuse of power by a person in a position of authority in exchange for personal benefits, is a major concern in international business. It delays economic development since it undermines democracy, alters competition mechanisms, increases the cost of doing business and discourages foreign direct investment (Cuervo-Cazurra, 2006; Nwabuzor, 2005; Seleim and Bontis, 2009). Due to its high impact, corruption has been studied extensively from both economic and cultural perspectives. In this study we focus on the latter. Religion seems to have an influence on political preference and work ethic, and as such, some religions may attenuate or exacerbate corruption practices. Previous research is inconclusive on the direction of such influence. We created an original dataset for our study to test our hypotheses. Addressing previous criticism on extant research regarding the heterogeneity of individual religious beliefs, we decided to use individual surveys. In this sense, we followed the example of Ko and Moon (2014), using the World Value Survey (WVS) dataset and the Corruption Perception Index (Transparency International, 2018) as a source for the dependent variable. Our study confirms that one religion sets itself apart from others as a variable affecting the level of perceived corruption within a country.

Keywords:

Religion, Corruption, Corruption Perception Index

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Valdovinos-Hernandez, I., Szymanski , M. ., & Grabowska , K. (2019). Mea culpa – the role of religion in corruption perception. Forum Scientiae Oeconomia, 7(3), 49–62. https://doi.org/10.23762/FSO_VOL7_NO3_4

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Ivan Valdovinos-Hernandez

ivaldovinos@tec.mx
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6319-1735

Bio Statement (e.g., department and rank)

Dr. Ivan Valdovinos-Hernandez is an Associate Professor of Finance at EGADE Business School of Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico. He holds a Ph.D. in Accounting and Finance from the University of Manchester and a master’s degree from Tecnologico de Monterrey. His research interests include administrative and financial accounting, and institutional and cultural differences around the world.

Mike Szymanski

mikeszym@tec.mx
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2215-6909

Affiliation:

EGADE Business School, Tecnologico de Monterrey Mexico

Bio Statement (e.g., department and rank)

Dr. Mike Szymanski is Assistant Professor of International Business at EGADE Business School of Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico. He holds a Ph.D. in International Management from the Gustavson Business School at the University of Victoria, Canada, and a master’s degree in strategic management from the Warsaw School of Economics, Poland. His research interests include global leadership skills, multiculturalism, and diversity-related challenges in organisations.

Karina Grabowska

kar.grabowska@gmail.com
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3134-9753

Affiliation:

University of Łódz Poland

Bio Statement (e.g., department and rank)

Karina Grabowska is a Ph.D. candidate at the Faculty of Economics and Sociology at University of Lodz, Poland. She also holds a master’s degree in international economics. Her research interests include the determinants of growth in developing economies, the role of demographic changes on service industries, and the history and mechanisms of financial crises.