Corruption and culture: An Experimental Analysis

Why do some people choose corruption over honesty and others not?  Do the social norms and values prevailing in the societies in which they grew up affect their decisions?  In 2005, we conducted a bribery experiment and found that, among undergraduates, we could predict who would act corruptly with reference to the level of corruption in their home country.  Among graduates we could not.  In 2007, we replicated our result.  We conclude that individuals' propensities to act corruptly may reflect the cultures in which they grew up.  However, certain types of individuals may not conform to their cultures and could, therefore, act as agents for change.