An ‘institutional turn’ in integrity management in China

Abstract

Previous unsuccessful attempts at controlling corruption have led the Chinese government to change its strategy from campaign-style anti-corruption enforcement to institutionalized integrity management, referred to as an ‘institutional turn’ in this article. The ‘turn’ is characterized by rule-guided integrity building and manifests itself in the growth of various local integrity initiatives. Drawing on a particular case – the declaration of assets by local government officials – this article details the characteristics and mechanisms of the institutional change towards integrity management in China. In addition to a conceptual discussion of the institutional turn, the broad social and political implications beyond the turn itself are examined. As the findings of the article show, China's ongoing institutional turn towards integrity management implies a paradigm shift in understanding corruption and its changing patterns. Points for practitioners The institutional turn towards integrity management in China has practical implications. First, integrity management is an institutionalized and rule-guided process, rather than a process of mere ideological inspiration. Second, whether covering certain specific aspects of concrete action or providing a general schema to be applied to particular circumstances, integrity management programmes should detail how a requirement is to be implemented and assessed, and what sanctions are to be imposed in cases of non-compliance. Third, integrity management relies not only on rules but also on important values, such as accountability, responsibility, transparency, and public engagement, which ensure good management of probity risks.