Exploring the Impact of the Integrity Climate on Integrity Violations in Public Procurement: A Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling Approach

Abstract

The increasing volumes of public procurement have a concomitant challenge of corruption. This study widens the discussion on corruption by incorporating the various morphologies of integrity transgressions. Literature survey followed by a Delphi study with anti-corruption experts yields eight distinct types of integrity violations in the Indian public sector. Simultaneously, it generates a framework of 22 critical tools and mechanisms that describe the integrity climate of procurement. A survey across diverse public organizations in India involving 193 practitioners is undertaken to evaluate the level of implementation of the integrity climate measures and the frequency of integrity violations. Their mutual relationship is investigated by partial least square structural equation modeling using SmartPLS 4, which yields a robust model with high predictive power. The model shows a significant path with a strong negative coefficient (−0.506) between the organizational integrity climate and the integrity violations, thus cogently proving the mitigating influence of the integrity climate on the integrity violations by members. This research is the maiden effort to assess the typologies of integrity violations in public organizations in India and determine their response to the organizational integrity climate. It offers practical insights to managers and policymakers that will improve project integrity outcomes while enriching the domain knowledge of integrity management in procurement.