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BridgeGap Talk Series – Anticorruption in Progress
Episode | Corruption and Informal Practices in the Middle East and North Africa: A Pooled Cross-Sectional Analysis

In this episode authors discuss how informal networks shape corruption in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and why traditional anti-corruption strategies fail to address the root causes of bribery in the region. This talk focuses on the intricate relationship between social norms, informal practices, and corruption, offering new insights into why certain forms of corruption persist despite legal and institutional reforms. Based on a rigorous empirical study analysing bribery across five key sectors - education, judiciary, healthcare, police, and business permits -, this discussion will highlight the critical role of informal practices like wasta (reciprocity-based networking), hamula (tribal clientelism), and combina (favor-exchange systems) in shaping corruption patterns. The research employs multinomial logistic and logit regressions to uncover how and why people in MENA engage in bribery at significantly higher rates compared to other regions. 
The key discussion points of the seminar is the creation of both opportunities and obstacles for governance by culturally embedded informal practices and the impact of social networks and personal influence in sustaining corruption. Moreover, it will also be investigated why existing anti-corruption policies, often designed with Western frameworks, fail in MENA and, as a consequence, how policymakers can design more effective, culturally attuned anti-corruption measures and their broader implications for governance, economic stability, and social trust in the region. 

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15.04.2025
Ina Kubbe, Fatih Kırşanlı & Wisnu Setiadi Nugroho
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Total: 54 results found
BridgeGap Talk Series – Anticorruption in Progress
Episode
Episode | Corruption and Informal Practices in the Middle East and North Africa: A Pooled Cross-Sectional Analysis
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15.04.2025
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BridgeGap Talk Series – Anticorruption in Progress
Episode
Episode | Corruption and Informal Practices in the Middle East and North Africa: A Pooled Cross-Sectional Analysis
Other episodes
15.04.2025
Ina Kubbe, Fatih Kırşanlı & Wisnu Setiadi Nugroho +
Play black
Corruption, Crime & Compliance
Podcast
Description
14.04.2025
Michael Volkov
Kickback - The Global Anticorruption Podcast
Podcast
Description
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Originally created by Nils Köbis, Christopher Starke, Matthew Stephenson & Jonathan Kleinpass; current host - Liz David-Barrett +
Play black
Podcast Anticor
Podcast
Description
10.04.2025
Élise Van Beneden, Éric Alt
The Human Risk Podcast
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Episode | Professor Benjamin Van Rooij on Toxic Organisations
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Description
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Play black
BridgeGap Talk Series – Anticorruption in Progress
Episode
Episode | Corruption and Informal Practices in the Middle East and North Africa: A Pooled Cross-Sectional Analysis
Other episodes
15.04.2025
Ina Kubbe, Fatih Kırşanlı & Wisnu Setiadi Nugroho +
Play black
Corruption, Crime & Compliance
Podcast
Description
14.04.2025
Michael Volkov
Kickback - The Global Anticorruption Podcast
Podcast
Description
10.04.2025
Originally created by Nils Köbis, Christopher Starke, Matthew Stephenson & Jonathan Kleinpass; current host - Liz David-Barrett +
Play black
Podcast Anticor
Podcast
Description
10.04.2025
Élise Van Beneden, Éric Alt
The Human Risk Podcast
Episode
Episode | Professor Benjamin Van Rooij on Toxic Organisations
29.03.2025
Christian Hunt
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Description
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Play black
Sophie au pays des possibles
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Description
18.03.2025
Sophie Lemaître
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Description
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Description
13.03.2025
Pana Ratanabanangkoon
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A decade of dedication.
Help us reach new heights!