Corruption and international development: a review of project management challenges
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JFC-06-2021-0128 |
| Published date | 31 July 2021 |
| Date | 31 July 2021 |
| Pages | 864-877 |
| Subject Matter | Accounting & finance,Financial risk/company failure,Financial crime |
| Author | Yanik Harnois,Stéphane Gagnon |
Corruption and international
development: a review of project
management challenges
Yanik Harnois and Stéphane Gagnon
Department of Administrative Sciences, Université du Québec en Outaouais,
Gatineau, Québec, Canada
Abstract
Purpose –The outcomes and quality of international development projects (IDPs) remain highly
controversial, especiallywith perception of corruption by various stakeholders.This study aims to integrate
findings from both social and administrative sciences to focus attention on the governance challenges
involved in both business and public administration of such projects. It also asks to what extent Project
Management (PM) methods can effectively be harmonized with broader anti-corruption initiative in both
donor and receivingcountries.
Design/methodology/approach –Taking a transdisciplinaryviewpoint, this study proposes a review
and synthesis of the literature on the theoretical, methodological, and epistemological issuesin researching
corruptionas a construct in PM as applied to IDPs.
Findings –Some experts recognize the inefficacy of applying classical PM tools and processes. By
contrasting the literature, this study concludes that an alternative approach to overcome the taboos and
prejudice in studying corruption is to ask a different research question. As opposed to studying “who and
why”about corruption occurrences(ex-post), given the challenge of unveiling its practices and motivations,
PM researchers can to ask instead “where and how”it occurs andhelp understand methods to mitigate its
effects on projects(ex-ante).
Originality/value –A research agenda is proposed for the several disciplinesand fields concerned with
solving thisphenomenon. To guide PM research on development projects,focusing on the “where and how”of
corruption requires addressinghow actors build their knowledge management capabilities and address the
social andcultural challenges inherent to IDPs.
Keywords Corruption, Project management, International development
Paper type Conceptual paper
1. Introduction
1.1 Beyond taboos and prejudice: studying corruption in International Development Projects (IDPs)
The outcomes and quality of international development projects (IDPs) remain highly
controversial,especially with perception of corruption by variousstakeholders.
While it should be easy in theory to study corruption in IDPs, given the abundance of
background documentation throughout the project lifecycle, it is obviously challenging due to
the wide diversity of actors across these project valu e chains. Moreover, researchers can hardly
find the necessary evidence to support any valid theory or model that explains corruption and
its actors. Finally, it must be recognized that several taboos persist as to whether it is
appropriate at all to raise the question, and whether any answer from anyone would be tainted
by prejudice, rendering any conclusion unreliable. Hence, corruption is epistemologically and
methodologically a difficult problem to tackle.
One approach to overcome the taboos and prejudice in studying corruption is to ask a
different research question. As opposed to studying “who and why”about corruption
JFC
29,3
864
Journalof Financial Crime
Vol.29 No. 3, 2022
pp. 864-877
EmeraldPublishing Limited
1359-0790
DOI 10.1108/JFC-06-2021-0128
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
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