The Case of Ukrainian Corruption: Phenomenology and Psychological Insides

Abstract

This article describes modern corruption in Ukraine. A communication-dyad with unequal power distribution was taken as the basic element for corruption modeling. Based on the analysis of 51 cases it uncovers the phenomenology of corruption and its psychological insides. It was shown that power gradient and obedience within the dyad are the key preconditions for the initiation of corrupt action. An active misuse of power discrepancy is also essential for sustainable proliferation of corruption. According to the data, about one third of corruption cases are accomplished exclusively by the involvement of state servants. In 31.4% of the cases, one finds the signs of organizational support of corruption. Moreover, in another 21.5% of the cases one finds a rather supportive position of state organization towards an act of corruption. 49% of the cases describe corrupt operations on a regular basis, which means that corrupt actions are run systematically on daily, weekly, or monthly bases depending on the specific organization. These findings uncover an active and aggressive nature of corruption, which is described by the dyadic model of coercive corrupt relationship. The power- discrepancy within dyad is intentionally used for the extraction of resources from the subjects with low power or from the budget.