How much culture is there in corruption? Some thoughts on transformation-cum-collective culture shock in post-communist Poland
How much culture is there in corruption? Some thoughts on transformation-cum-collective culture shock in post-communist Poland

Summary/Abstract: The paper’s objective is to show how cultural features may interact with economic behaviour. The concepts of “civilisational incompetence” and “collective culture shock”are discussed to highlight a number of specific issues faced by post-communist countries. Corruption (presented on the basis of the Corruption Perception Index) is symptomatic of civilisational incompetence. Quantified cultural dimensions are used to assess Poland’s cultural make-up. A simple regression model (in three parts) is built where numerical values for Power Distance and Individualism (as set forth by Hofstede) are positioned against the values of Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index. Quantified cultural dimensions are an independent variable. The dependent variable is the perception of corruption. There seems to be a positive relation between corruption and PD, anda negative relation between corruption and IDV. Economic implications are listed. The case of Poland is presented as a testing ground for researchers, practitioners, public opinion and policy makers.

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