Beliefs in the attributes of success in life and bribery in post-communist European countries

ABSTRACT

This article examines the influence of internal and external beliefs about the attribution of success in life on perceptions of corruption and corrupt behaviour. Using individual-level data from the Life in Transition Survey III for 21 former communist European countries, the results show that, on the one hand, beliefs that success in life is achieved eminently through effort and hard work and through intelligence, skills and competences reduce both the likelihood of perceiving corruption and acting corruptly. On the other hand, external attributes of life success achieved through political connections and breaking the law are associated with higher perceptions of corruption and bribery-related behaviour. These findings highlight the significant positive role of personal effort (rather than any help from unfair sources) and meritocracy in achieving success in life on the assessment of perceptions of corruption and corrupt behaviour in former communist European societies.

KEYWORDS:

• bribery
• corrupt behaviour
• perceptions of corruption
• internal and external attributes of success in life
• post-communist European economies

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Olga POPOVA, Senior Researcher in the Department of Economics at IOS (Leibniz Institute for East and Southeast European Studies) in Regensburg (Germany), for her valuable comments and advice. I also thank Rodica IANOLE-CĂLIN, Professor at the University of Bucharest (Romania), for her interesting ideas.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).