Administrative culture and the performance of accountability institutions in public organizations: An analysis of the implementation of anti-corruption strategies in Kenya

Abstract

The pursuit of bureaucratic accountability and regulatory controls through political-administrative reforms have become problematic in contemporary public management. Public sector corruption, in particular, is identified as one of key endemic problems associated with the administrative structures, norms and processes in many states across the world. This is despite implementation of otherwise apposite accountability or regulatory reforms in public administration. More especially, in emerging economies in the global South. Using an analytical framework derived from organization theory and neo-institutionalism, this thesis examines the implementation of anti-corruption strategies as key composite of accountability reforms in public administration in Kenya. The broad objective of the study was to assess the impact of administrative culture in the implementation of anti-corruption strategies in governmental institutions, with a particular focus on how political-administrative designs, environments and culture influence compliance systems, the reporting of organizational wrongdoing, and the normalization of corruption in both the public sector and outside it. It also sought to establish the extent to which the administrative culture in public administration can influence the work of accountability institutions and the way in which they implement of anti-corruption strategies. The investigation also looked at the effect of devolution reforms on accountability systems at the level of local government and the complexities in inter-governmental coordination and control to which this has given rise.