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Abstract
The drive to ‘root out’ corruption has become a predominant feature of the ‘save Africa’ discourse currently enjoying a high level of exposure in international debate. This article begins by stressing the importance of the conventional distinction between ‘grand’ and ‘petty’ corruption, not least because each solicits rather different policies of containment. Focusing upon petty corruption it is argued that current efforts at containment are still strongly influenced by the Weberian concept of rational-legal bureaucracy (RLB) and that a configuration close to RLB continues to be widely regarded as the necessary and likely destination of administrative reform. This despite the fact that there does not seem to be a clear view as to the distinctive components of this ‘bureaucracy’. In particular the discourse of development administration tends not to take account of the significance for bureaucracies of informal networks. Accordingly, this article moves on to examine the inter-relationship between formal and informal manifestations focusing particularly upon the politicisation of ‘bureaucratic’ relations. Given the apparently high levels of politicisation of the administrative apparatus in sub-Saharan Africa, what are the prospects for its reform and ultimately the containment of petty corruption?
Acknowledgements
Whilst the responsibility for the views expressed here is entirely his own, the author would like to thank the referees and editor of this journal for their helpful and insightful comments on an earlier draft.
Notes
1. However, the regulatory process can get out of control. The US Government, for example, has issued detailed regulations distinguishing doughnuts from sandwiches as hospitality. Public employees are permitted to accept the former but not the latter! (Clark, Citation1996: 66–67).
2. For a critical discussion of the concept of organisational culture see Anthony, Citation1994, and Meek, Citation1992.