Is globalization linked to low corruption in OECD countries?

Abstract

The current study examines the combinational effects of globalization, wealth, democracy, political stability, and legal efficiency on the perception of state corruption within 34 members of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (the OECD) countries. Seminal academic literature clearly shows that all these factors can influence corruption within nations and this study focuses on the pathways through which globalization is mediated by unique combinations of other factors that work in tandem through the use of Fuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis. The analysis of conditions reveals that a high level of globalization is neither sufficient nor necessary condition on its own for low corruption but combines with other conditions in distinct pathways to be sufficient for either high corruption or low corruption among the research cases. Other internal factors appear more clearly associated with corruption, with low legal efficiency as a necessary condition for high corruption, while high democracy and high legal efficiency serving as important necessary conditions for low corruption”.