Why Do People Pay Bribes? A Survey Experiment with Resource Users*

Abstract

Objective: Although corruption is known to hinder natural resource regulations, the research area remains underexplored. Departing from a debate on the reasons driving people's engagement in corruption, this research note studies why some resource users bribe enforcement officers. Methods: In a between-subjects survey experiment, with a sample of resource users active in South African small-scale fisheries, we examine the effects of inspectors’ response to bribes and other users’ involvement in corruption on attitudes toward bribery. Results: Resource users are more willing to partake in bribery when inspectors turn a blind eye to violations and when fellow users are involved in corruption. Conclusion: This lends support for the proposition that engagement in corruption is driven by both the anticipated gains from bribes as well as expectations of others’ behavior. This suggests that anti-corruption policy should be designed with the insight that more than one of these features affect attitudes to bribe-taking.