New Public Management and Corruption: IPMN Dialogue and Analysis

The article explores potential interrelationships between New Public Management reforms in the public sector and corrupt behavior of public servants, politicians and/or private providers of public services. It reflects on the impact of different reform strategies on corruption, analyzes possible unintended consequences of reform, and explores motivation and opportunity as possible stimuli of corruptive behavior. Empirical evidence to deduce clear findings about the relationship is absent. In fact, there is no evidence to suggest that NPM fosters corruption any more than does traditional public administration. However, the article reviews hypotheses that suggest NPM may foster the opportunity for corruption. The analysis is assisted by comments on the topic made by IPMN members in a list server dialogue that took place in late 2002.