The Rotten Mango: The Effect of Corruption on International Development Projects Part 1: Building a System Dynamics Basis for Examining Corruption

摘要

Corruption diverts perhaps 30 percent from billions of dollars spent annually forinternational development loans. Importantly, this illegitimate cash flowbecomes the primary reason why funds are requested. Desire to maintain thisflow alters project planning, design and implementation. Bureaucratic andpersonal work characteristics become imbedded in, and reinforce, these corruptsystems.Corruption literature provides a rich source of data and theory which can serveas a foundation for SD models of corruption including mathematical sub-modelsand typologies of corrupt systems, narratives of instances of corruption, andproposed remedies. An overall paradigm, allowing us to consider, in a holisticway, the many sub-systems of corruption has not been developed.This literature provided a basis for SD model building. Additional experiences inIndonesia maintained model realism. One SD corruption overview is based onthe oft cited idea that 'amount of corruption' is part of reinforcing loops linked to'amount of bureaucratic red tape.' In this view, corruption is imbedded inpositive feedback loops also linking it to lowered economic openness, a weaklegal system, and excessive economic rents available. Stabilizing influences areprovided by negative feedback loops in which increasing corruption providespressures to improve the legal system and causes, through mismanagement,decreased economic rents. Other more detailed SD views include factors thataffect the likelihood that a bribe is paid and the psycho-social aspects ofcorruption within the work environment. Taken together these indicate that SDmodeling has considerable potential for elucidating corrupt systems and cures.