Factors which deter public officials from reporting corruption

A survey of over 800 public sector employees was conducted to explore the factors which would be most likely to deter public sector employees from reporting workplace corruption. Respondents were asked to consider whether they would make a report in the absence of certain factors which have been found in past research to impact on the decision to make reports. The aim was to determine which workplace strategies managers should make a priority when encouraging employees to report workplace corruption. Concern about not having enough proof was the most commonly reported deterrent, followed by the absence of legal protection from negative consequences. The factors which were reported as deterring the least number of respondents were the absence of role responsibility for reporting corruption and not being directly affected by the corruption. Respondents from lower income groups were more likely to be deterred from reporting corruption in the absence of encouraging factors. In addition, a relationship was found between a lack of information about mechanisms for reporting corruption and a negative attitude toward reporting corruption. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.