Values and Corruption: Do Postmaterialists Justify Bribery?
Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
Standard
In: Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, Vol. 48, No. 2, 01.02.2017, p. 225-242.
Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
Harvard
APA
Vancouver
Bibtex
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
T1 - Values and Corruption
T2 - Do Postmaterialists Justify Bribery?
AU - Kravtsova, Maria
AU - Oshchepkov, Aleksey
AU - Welzel, Christian
PY - 2017/2/1
Y1 - 2017/2/1
N2 - Using World Values Survey data from several dozen countries around the world, this article analyzes the relationship between postmaterialist values and bribery (dis)approval in a multilevel framework. We find that people, who place stronger emphasis on postmaterialist values, tend to justify bribery more. However, the “ecological” effect of postmaterialism operates in the exactly opposite direction: A higher prevalence of postmaterialist values induces more bribery disapproval, and especially among postmaterialists themselves. In our view, this happens because the large number of people who internalized postmaterialist values generate positive social externalities which strengthen negative attitudes toward corruption. We outline a theoretical framework that explains why and how these externalities may emerge. Our results contribute to the literature on the sociocultural factors of corruption, provide a better understanding of the complex nature of postmaterialism, and also might be interesting in the light of ongoing discussions on whether moral attitudes are culturally universal or culturally specific.
AB - Using World Values Survey data from several dozen countries around the world, this article analyzes the relationship between postmaterialist values and bribery (dis)approval in a multilevel framework. We find that people, who place stronger emphasis on postmaterialist values, tend to justify bribery more. However, the “ecological” effect of postmaterialism operates in the exactly opposite direction: A higher prevalence of postmaterialist values induces more bribery disapproval, and especially among postmaterialists themselves. In our view, this happens because the large number of people who internalized postmaterialist values generate positive social externalities which strengthen negative attitudes toward corruption. We outline a theoretical framework that explains why and how these externalities may emerge. Our results contribute to the literature on the sociocultural factors of corruption, provide a better understanding of the complex nature of postmaterialism, and also might be interesting in the light of ongoing discussions on whether moral attitudes are culturally universal or culturally specific.
KW - bribery
KW - corruption
KW - moral attitudes
KW - multilevel
KW - postmaterialist values
KW - Politics
U2 - 10.1177/0022022116677579
DO - 10.1177/0022022116677579
M3 - Journal articles
AN - SCOPUS:85008693359
VL - 48
SP - 225
EP - 242
JO - Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology
JF - Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology
SN - 0022-0221
IS - 2
ER -