Does ‘Perceived’ Socio-Economic Benefits of Bribery Persist Bribery Practices?

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to examine whether people’s perceptions of socio-economic benefits they attached to bribery practices persist the practices in Abuja, Nigeria. The focus of prior studies has been on negative perception of bribery practices in the world. This study relies on the economic process theory as a theoretical framework. A multi-stage sampling method was used to identify the respondents in the study area. The study employed survey questionnaire to collect the data. A total of 1000 questionnaire were distributed, out of which 836 valid responses were collected. The valid responses were analyzed using multiple regression method. The findings of the study indicated that people’s perceptions on socio-economic benefits of bribery practices significantly persist the practices in Nigeria. The study recommends that an intensive campaign should be carried out by the government and the civil society organizations to change people’s perception of bribery practices in Nigeria.