The Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index for 2013 lists Australia as equal ninth, with Canada, ahead of Germany, United Kingdom and the United States. Denmark was rated the least corrupt, followed by New Zealand, Finland and Sweden.
Notably, Australia actually slipped four points compared to 2012 apparently due to the currency printing prosecution, and NSW political corruption inquiries.
The TIP leaders claim that transparency of accountability is a great tool in diminishing and eradicating corruption. Whilst there is no doubt that transparency is indeed a powerful structural preventative tool, it doesn’t deal with the root causes.
I assert that the root causes of corruption are fear, habits and ignorance. Until we effectively deal with those we’ll continue to have corruption. Therefore corruption has the potential for longevity!
Corruption embraces all three causes and where the remedies aren’t present.
Fear – expressed as greed (the fear of not having enough) and fear to prevent, disclose or remove.
Habits – expressed as protection of or blindness of the present culture; misplaced loyalty; living beyond one’s honest means; values that don’t align with the requirements of the role.
Ignorance – expressed as primarily as a lack of attitudinal competence; inadequate structures and practices; lack of understanding how to deal with corruption at both the individual and group levels.
The remedy for fear is the practice of courage.
The remedy for (bad) habits is belief/values improvement and then consistent correct practice to embed better habits.
The remedy for ignorance is education, experimentation, failing fast and learning.
Having served in law-enforcement and having investigated corruption, I’m dismayed that we still seek to overlook the causes and attempt to remedy mainly by structural improvement, such as transparency in accountability.
Dealing with corruption is in effect a massive change management operation, where we actually have to alter the brain structure of society, by improving individuals’ beliefs and values that are holding corruption in place.
At present we are dealing with corruption more like usual change management practices which have a consistent 70% failure rate.
It’s time we approached it at a human level and not like an engineering project.
What do you think?
