Social Context of Economic and Administrative Corruption

Economic and administrative corruption make governmental policies inconsistent with benefits of the majority of society and waste national resources. Thus study and research in this regard, recognizing grounds that lead to corruption and its consequences, specially studies done by independent civil centers, is necessary because without knowing the problem, every countervailing measure taken, leads to dead end. Present qualitative study, is dedicated to investigation of social grounds effecting spread of corruption. the main goal of present study is to investigate the role of individual, characteristic, social, cultural and organizational factors in corruption committed. Deep interviews were conducted using qualitative methodology at management level in municipalities and banks of Tehran (Saderat and Pasargad Banks). Data was analyzed with thematic method. Findings showed that five main themes can be categorized under the title of ''the most important social grounds for commitment of corruption'': Religious and ethical commitment, institutional trust, family favoritism, civil freedom, and unacceptability of corruption in society. Based on findings economic and administrative corruptions would occur through people’s lack of religious and moral adherence, lack of work conscience and professional ethics, lack of institutional trust with decrease in job satisfaction and organizational commitment, trust reduction and job deviation, lack of transparency and free circulation of information due to lack of civil freedoms, existence of administrative systems based on kinship relations which cause some unlawful matters such as embezzlement, favoritism, selling the secret organizational information and etc., and finally lack of corruption’s disapproval in society.