STRONG LEADERSHIP, ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURES NEEDED TO FIGHT CORRUPTION

Corruption is a sexy topic and it seems as if everybody has an opinion about it. However, it is a complex issue that needs comprehensive solutions.
This is the opinion of Prof Gavin Woods, director of Stellenbosch University’s Anti-corruption Centre for Education and Research (ACCERUS)
“Not only the ordinary man in the street, but also government is short on understanding corruption. And this lack of understanding helps to create an environment in the public sector where corruption thrives,” says Woods.
“Government is usually quick to appoint investigating teams when there are instances of corruption. We then find a lot of people running around writing reports while what we really need is more direct intervention inside organisations. While we need laws and investigations, this is not enough to effectively swing the pendulum away from corrupt practices and change the attitudes and actions of people inside public entities.”
Woods will be the keynote speaker at the international Winelands Conference in April where issues of governance and corruption will be put under the spotlight under the conference theme Integrity and Governance: What is wrong? What is right? What is next? Other speakers include : John Bennington, Professor in Public Management, Management and Policy (Warwick University); Erwin Schwella, Professor in Public Leadership (SPL), Geert Bouckaert, Director: Institute for Public Management (Flanders) and Cobus de Swardt, MD of Transparency International.
Woods adds: “What is needed is strong leadership and strong organisational structures and the government does not seem to understand the importance of this. When there are weak managers and weak systems in public organisations, workers are inclined to exploit the low risk opportunities – that is they believe they will net get caught out. Corruption thrives in an environment where workers think their managers are weak.
Research done by ACCERUS and elsewhere has shown conclusively that weak leadership and weak structures are conducive to corrupt practices.
“The problem of weak leaders in the public sector is manifold,” says Woods. “ Many managers simply do not have the experience or skills needed to run a public organisation. This is especially detrimental to an organisation if the financial manager is also inexperienced. A further challenge is the high turnover in personnel. Whenever a manager acquires some skills – despite a lack of guidance – he will leave for greener pastures.
“Research has further shown that corruption is multi-causal. Capitalism and the desire to acquire wealth is one of the reasons. Another is commercialism and the advertising world which tells the ordinary citizen that he should constantly acquire more. A false need is created by advertising and this can lead to greed. If an individual cannot afford what he wants, he might turn to corrupt practices.”
And then there are the politicians. Not only do they create unrealistic expectations through promises of wealth and job creation during elections, but they also flash overt wealth. These politicians, who are often short on delivering on their promises, but who enrich themselves at the cost of those they should be serving, act as the wrong kind of role models.
Woods says it has also been shown that value systems in countries in transition become fluid and confused. “We have seen this happening in China, Russia and in India where corruption increased in direct relation to great economic and/or political change.”
Corruption in the public sector, undermines citizens’ confidence in all things related to public service delivery and it negatively affects public service delivery. When a public service entity is known for corrupt practices, it leads to a feeling of disempowerment amongst the citizenry. It can also severely undermine the democratic processes.
“It is clear there is is a huge need to implement systems inside public organisations that will make the risks attached to corruption too high, and that eliminate opportunities for corruption. But before we can do that, we need a more comprehensive and more comprehensible understanding of corruption and its causes.”
Stellenbosch University’s Anti-corruption Centre for Education and Research (Accerus) strives towards finding answers to these challenge. This is done through sound academic research and the identification of solutions. These challenges will further be addressed at the bi-annual Winelands Conference (2 – 4 April that will be hosted by Stellenbosch University’s School for Public Leadership) in conjunction with ACCERUS and the Zijlstra Centre for Public Control and Governance (Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam).
• For information about this story, or to arrange media interviews, contact Stephanie Nieuwoudt +27 (0)83 2978785
• For information on registration, contact: +27 (0)21 938 9245. Or csnyman@sun.ac.za.
Or visit the website at www.winelands2012.co.za.