Corrupt Practices of Different Types - Essay Example

? Background Paper Ethics in Public Administration and Policy Study on Embezzlement Behavior among Public Administrators Mohammed Alfozan Cal Lutheran University Description of the Issue Corrupt practices of different types are found to permeate the operations of both the private and public sector concerns. Research entails that corrupt practices carried out by both public and private officials generally relate to two types-Administrative and Legislative. Administrative Corruption encompasses acts like bribery, misuse and embezzlement of public funds and also other activities like extortion. Legislative corruption on the other hand relates to the mode of bribing the political authorities to gain undue advantage at a later stage (Kurer, 2005, p.234). However, this paper focuses on the embezzlement of funds by public officials. The paper tends to infer about the relation of the behavioral practices of embezzlement of funds by public administrators to the low basic salary received. Description of the Background of the Issue The menace of corruption related to embezzlement of Public Funds earns a vivid relation to the pattern of low payment structures offered to the public government officials. It is found that in economies like Tanzania the salary received by the public officials was not enough to cover up their domestic expenditures that contributed as one of the factors in enhancing the embezzlement behavior. This embezzlement practice of the Public Officials related to the tax revenues happens to render fiscal pressures on the economy of the region like Tanzania making it weaker (Fjeldstad, 2003, p.165, 168-169). Relating to the above issue different instances would be incorporated from other literary sources reflecting on the relation of the embezzlement behavior of the government officials and their low salary structures. It would also focus on rendering effective recommendations thereof. . Description of the Literature Embezzlement of Funds by Public Administrators and its Impact on the Economy Myint (2000) states that one of the significant evidences of corruption in the hands of public government officials relates to the embezzlement of public funds for their own personal and domestic use. Public officials usually engage in embezzlement on an individual basis without third party intervention.. Embezzlement behavior of government officials bears a strong relation to the low salary payments provided to them that, in turn, fails to support their living conditions in this cost driven economy. Further, the embezzlement behavior of these government officials is found to render potential impacts on the economy of the emerging economies thereby increasing their internal and external debt and similarly deteriorating economic and social structure (Myint, 2000, p.35, 40, and 45). Ante (2010) reflects that the practice of the public or government officials relating to the embezzlement of public funds happen to render considerable impacts on the economic and social system of a country or region thereby affecting it both financially and structurally. In the case of emerging economies such types of exploitative practices of government officials drains on the regional economy and thereby tends to be one of the significant factors resulting to economic and social disparity. Drainage of funds kept for social or public use through embezzlement by public government officials contributes in enhancing the poverty level in the society at large. Growing levels of poverty thereby deprives the poor people from their social and economic rights (Ante, 2010, p.249). Trebilcock and Prado (2011) observe that the activity related to embezzlement or misappropriation of public funds by government officials tends to have significant consequences pertaining to the large scale reduction of funds meant for development purposes. Thus, misappropriation of public funds deters the government body of the region to rightly and effectively pursue the goals set for programs like the United Nations Development Program to help cater for the needs and growth of the deprived population. Misappropriation or embezzlement activities carried out on a spontaneous note thus contribute to the vicious circle in making the economy turn weaker. Government bodies thus fail to accomplish development projects duly started related to urban and rural development activities (Trebilcock and Prado, 2011, p.180). Menzel (2005) reflects that the activity related to embezzlement of public funds happens to become a matter of serious concern pertaining to the management and sustenance of ethical organizational norms. In turn it is observed that misappropriation of funds conducted by one government official contributes to the encouragement of such embezzlement activity by the former’s colleagues and subordinates leading to further misappropriation of public assets. The level of misappropriation or embezzlement activities also tends to disturb the ethical framework of other organizations government, semi-government or otherwise thereby graduating to a vicious framework of fund or asset misappropriation (Menzel, 2005, p.157). Relation of Low Basic Salary to the Embezzlement Behavior by Public Administrators Brownfield (2011) reflects that the pattern of corruption relating to embezzlement or misappropriation of public funds gains increased incidence in terms of emerging economies. Government officials pertaining to the emerging or developing economies are often found to complain of insufficient compensation schemes and financial packages. The payment schemes of the government officials of such countries are formulated in terms of market rates owing to which the officials in public concerns of emerging economies are subjected to low pay scales. In Cambodia Public Officials depend on rampant misappropriation of funds for their own private use. Again, ethical and legislative standards in such regions being weaker in nature like absence of proper laws to combat corruption contribute to the further escalation of the problem (Brownfield, 2011, p.178). Odhiambo-Mbai (2003) further finds that the behavioral patterns of public government officials relating to the embezzlement activity of public funds reflect on the deterioration of public interests and also in terms of the loyalty and accountability parameters relating to the concern and the region at large. The above fact has been further elucidated through an evaluation of the Kenyan market where misappropriation activities related to public funds are on the rise on the part of the government officials. A major cause attributed to such rise in such unethical practices owes to the degradation in the terms and conditions of the services concerned. The government officials are often subjected to pay that is below the required and market rates thereby creating a disparity in the living standards of such people in comparison to the same category of people occupied in private concerns. The amenities are benefits related to the category of housing and medical rendered to the public government officials are often complained by them as below the level of necessity. Other additional benefits and services are also not rendered thereby enhancing their grievances. Owing to the above reason the people become all the more dependent on embezzlement activities for it helps in compensating the disparities caused (Odhiambo-Mbai, 2003, p.133-134). Quah (2001) discusses a case of police officials in Singapore. The officials in the police department of the country were found to reflect reduced accountability and loyalty to their service and to the people of the country as they were continuously involved in activities related to extortion of money and bribes and also embezzlement of public funds. The local Singaporean population employed in the police force observed and complained against the low level of salary rendered to them in comparison to that rendered to the European people employed therein. This fact thus made the former depend on erroneous activities like embezzlement and misappropriation of funds to compensate the loss of their basic income (Quah, 2001, p.30). Structuring of Basic Salary to Reduce Fund Embezzlement Behavior Goehring (2007) reflects on a case of Kazakhstan and how the government of the region is closely working to help improve the wage and salary conditions of public sector employees to reduce the incidence of activities related to misappropriation of public funds. The government of the region has come to understand that development of the living and payment standards of the people working in the public sector concerns through reduction of disparity between them and their contemporaries employed in private firms would act as a potential strategy in enhancing the loyalty and accountability parameters. Moreover other additional measures taken by the government of the region to enhance motivation and accountability of the government officials includes reduction of hierarchical layers in the concerns and also in assisting the people gain further growth opportunities. The new payment structure should focus on the total cost the company tends to expend at an individual level consisting of both the basic income coupled with other additional financial benefits like housing and medical benefits. Further other amenities pertaining to social and training costs must be reflected in such compensation structures (Goehring, 2007, p.343). Heilman and Ndumbaro (2002) also reflect on how the government of Tanzania worked in not only developing the pay standards of the people employed in public sector concerns but also worked in the development of the social and educational standards of the people living in the regions. Social and educational developments were also combined by training operations carried out in the local public sector and private sector concerns thereby enhancing the accountability and loyalty parameters of the people in the region to serve in a better manner. These activities put in place helped the local officials employed in the Tanzanian public sector gain enhanced motivation in terms of accountability and loyalty to the concern and the society at large (Heilman and Ndumbaro, 2002, p.13-14). Mutahaba (2005) further elucidates on the reforms in the salary structures by the government of Tanzania to help reduce the amount of embezzlement activities carried out by public government officials. It is observed that reforms to the basic salary structure concept were enhanced to reach at least the minimum level of living wage. This meant that the salary structure of the officials would be formulated based on changing market rates. In the second case, the salary of the qualified government officials was taken to be raised to such amounts that would match the salaries of their contemporaries working in private sector concerns. This strategy was taken to reduce the level of mismatch involved. Similarly the salary structure of the Public Servants was adequately revised to encompass value additions in the form of specific allowances. Finally, public servants would also be subjected to performance evaluation structures where the salary structure would be increased depending on the betterment of their performance levels as would result from the evaluation process. Accordingly separate ranks were made and related to the officials depending on the increment gained in their performance levels. All these structural changes brought about in the salary structure of the public sector officials tended to equalize their position with the people working in private concerns and thereby led to reduction of disparities amounting to embezzlement behavior. References Ante, A. (2010). State Building and Development: Two Sides of the Same Coin? Exploring the Case of Kosovo. Hamburg: Disserta Verlag. Brownfield, W.R. (2011). International Narcotics Control Strategy Report: Volume I: Drug and Chemical Control. United States: DIANE Publishing. Fjeldstad, O. (2003). Fighting Fiscal Corruption: Lessons From The Tanzania Revenue Authority. Public Administration And Development, 23, 165-175. Retrieved from: http://brage.bibsys.no/nhh/bitstream/URN%3ANBN%3Ano-bibsys_brage_24696/1/fjeldstad%20odd%202006.pdf#page=87 Goehring, J. (2007). Nations in Transit 2007: Democratization from Central Europe to Eurasia. United States of America: Rowman & Littlefield. Heilman, B., and Ndumbaro, L. (2002). Corruption, Politics, and Societal Values in Tanzania: An Evaluation of the Mkapa Administration's Anti-Corruption Efforts. African Journal of Political Science, 7(1), 1-19. Retrieved from: http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/African%20Journals/pdfs/political%20science/volume7n1/ajps007001002.pdf Kurer, O. (2005). Corruption: An Alternative Approach to Its Definition and Measurement. Political Studies, 53, 222–239. Menzel, D.C. (2005). Research on Ethics and Integrity in Governance: A Review and Assessment. Public Integrity, 7(2), 147–168. Retrieved from: http://cism.my/upload/article/201106151748550.research%20on%20ethics%20in%20governance.pdf Mutahaba, G. (2005). Pay Reform And Corruption In Tanzania’s Public Service. Seminar On Potential For Public Service Pay Reform To Eradicate Corruption Among Civil Servants In Tanzania. Retrieved from: http://www.tzonline.org/pdf/payreformandcorruptionintanzaniaspublic.pdf Myint, U. (2000). Corruption: Causes, Consequences And Cures. Asia-Pacific Development Journal, 7(2), 33-57. Retrieved from: http://www.unescap.org/drpad/publication/journal_7_2/myint.pdf Odhiambo-Mbai, C. (2003). Public Service Accountability and Governance in Kenya Since Independence. African Journal of Political Science, 8(1), 113-145. Retrieved from: http://archive.lib.msu.edu/DMC/African%20Journals/pdfs/political%20science/volume8n1/ajps008001006.pdf Quah, J.S.T. (2001). Combating Corruption in Singapore: What Can Be Learned? Journal Of Contingencies And Crisis Management, 9(1), 29-35. Retrieved from: http://conferences.wcfia.harvard.edu/gov2126/files/quah_singapore.pdf Trebilcock, M. J., and Prado, M. M. (2011). What Makes Poor Countries Poor?: Institutional Determinants of Development. United Kingdom: Edward Elgar Publishing. Read More