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Economic Regulations, Red Tape, and Bureaucratic Corruption in Post-Communist Economies

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  • Duvanova, Dinissa
Abstract
Should state regulatory involvement in the economy necessarily generate corruption? While excessive regulatory burden is often treated as a cause of corruption, this paper argues otherwise. It distinguishes regulatory policy, or de jure regulatory regimes from regulatory implementation and offers a more nuanced argument about the relationship between state regulations and bureaucratic corruption. The analysis of business survey data covering 25 post-communist economies demonstrates that mechanisms of regulatory implementation, rather than heavy-handed regulatory policy, are responsible for bribery. This analysis draws attention to the theoretical distinction between different types of regulatory hurdles and their differential effects on the quality of governance.

Suggested Citation

  • Duvanova, Dinissa, 2014. "Economic Regulations, Red Tape, and Bureaucratic Corruption in Post-Communist Economies," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 298-312.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:59:y:2014:i:c:p:298-312
    DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2014.01.028
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    2. Gans-Morse, Jordan & Borges, Mariana & Makarin, Alexey & Mannah-Blankson, Theresa & Nickow, Andre & Zhang, Dong, 2018. "Reducing bureaucratic corruption: Interdisciplinary perspectives on what works," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 171-188.
    3. Kobil Ruziev & Don Webber, 2017. "SMEs access to formal finance in post-communist economies: Do institutional structure and political connectedness matter?," Working Papers 20171701, Department of Accounting, Economics and Finance, Bristol Business School, University of the West of England, Bristol.
    4. Suzuki, Taku & Mizobata, Satoshi, 2019. "Social Confusion and Corruption: Investigating the Causes and Effects of a Breakdown of Ethics," Discussion Paper Series 690_v2, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.
    5. Kelbesa Megersa & Danny Cassimon, 2015. "Public Debt, Economic Growth, and Public Sector Management in Developing Countries: Is There a Link?," Public Administration & Development, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 35(5), pages 329-346, December.
    6. Dwibedy, Punyashlok, 2022. "Informal competition and product innovation decisions of new ventures and incumbents across developing and transitioning countries," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 17(C).
    7. Fang Wang & Xiaoyong Dai, 2020. "Regulation and product innovation: the intermediate role of resource reallocation," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 30(4), pages 1035-1061, September.
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    9. Amin,Mohammad & Soh,Yew Chong, 2020. "Does Greater Regulatory Burden Lead to More Corruption ? Evidence Using Firm-Level Survey Data for Developing Countries," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9149, The World Bank.
    10. Nicholas A. Lash & Bala Batavia, 2019. "Corruption and Doing Business in Emerging Markets," Asian Economic and Financial Review, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 9(11), pages 1279-1289, November.
    11. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake & Ajantha Sisira Kumara & Asankha Pallegedara, 2023. "The nexus between public sector corruption and private sector efficiency: Evidence from worldwide firm‐level data," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(2), pages 1056-1077, May.
    12. Amin,Mohammad & Soh,Yew Chong, 2020. "Does Corruption Hurt Employment Growth of Financially Constrained Firms More ?," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9286, The World Bank.
    13. Choudhury, Sanchari, 2023. "The causal effect of regulation on income inequality across the U.S. states," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    14. Qi, Guoyou & Zou, Hailiang & Xie, Xuemei & Meng, Xiaohua & Fan, Tijun & Cao, Yuanhe, 2020. "Obedience or escape: Examining the contingency influences of corruption on firm exports," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 261-272.
    15. Mohammad Amin & Yew Chong Soh, 2022. "Financial constraints and the impact of corruption on employment growth," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 34(3), pages 612-635, April.
    16. Nam Hoang Vu & Tram-Anh Nguyen & Tram Bao Hoang & Nguyen Viet Cuong, 2024. "Formal Firms with Bribery in a Dynamic Business Environment," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 191(3), pages 571-589, May.
    17. Fungáčová, Zuzana & Kochanova, Anna & Weill, Laurent, 2015. "Does Money Buy Credit? Firm-Level Evidence on Bribery and Bank Debt," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 308-322.
    18. Golovanova, Svetlana V. (Голованова, Светлана) & Meleshkina, Anna I. (Мелешкина, Анна), 2016. "Estimation of Interrelation between Corruption and Competition [Оценка Взаимного Влияния Коррупции И Конкуренции]," Ekonomicheskaya Politika / Economic Policy, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, vol. 6, pages 100-121, December.
    19. Bernd Ebersberger & Nils Mevenkamp, 2016. "Open Innovation in Eastern Europe and Central Asia," Journal of Business Administration Research, Journal of Business Administration Research, Sciedu Press, vol. 5(2), pages 8-19, October.
    20. Mihály Fazekas & Lawrence Peter King, 2019. "Perils of development funding? The tale of EU Funds and grand corruption in Central and Eastern Europe," Regulation & Governance, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 13(3), pages 405-430, September.
    21. Doren Chadee & Banjo Roxas & Alexandre Kouznetsov, 2021. "Corruption, Bribery and Innovation in CEE: Where is the Link?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 174(4), pages 747-762, December.
    22. Sheraz Ahmad CHOUDHARY & Khalid Zaman & Shakira EJAZ, 2018. "Dynamic linkages between corruption, economic growth, and income inequality in Pakistan: Say ‘No’ to corruption," Theoretical and Applied Economics, Asociatia Generala a Economistilor din Romania / Editura Economica, vol. 0(1(614), S), pages 167-182, Spring.
    23. Jetter, Michael & Agudelo, Alejandra Montoya & Hassan, Andrés Ramírez, 2015. "The Effect of Democracy on Corruption: Income is Key," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 286-304.
    24. Diaby, Aboubacar & Sylwester, Kevin, 2015. "Corruption and Market Competition: Evidence from Post-Communist Countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 487-499.
    25. Pavlova, Natalia (Павлова, Наталья) & Meleshkina, Anna (Мелешкина, Анна), 2017. "Anti-Corruption and Protection of Competition [Противодействие Коррупции И Защита Конкуренции]," Working Papers 041707, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration.

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