Effect of Mobile Internet Access and Use on Government Corruption - Essay

Abstract

This is government corruption essay that examines the relationship existing between mobile Internet access and Internet use in order to determine their effect on government corruption. We shall be investigating how use of Internet and access to the Internet through mobile device affect transparency and government corruption. We shall define variables for this study focusing on Internet use, mobile access to internet, transparency, FDI, GDP and how they impact on one another, and ultimately on government corruption while controlling for cultural factors based on Hofstede’s cultural dimensions such as, power distance, individuality, long term orientation and uncertainty avoidance.

Introduction

In recent times globalization has revealed several socio-economic decay like corruption, in both developed and developing nations. There is a widespread use of the Internet since its advent, made possible by globalization. This creates window for some form of transparency through which countries of the world could easily be seen. In a study by Rodriguez et al., government corruption in developing countries has been noticed to be pervasive and arbitrary. However, government corruption can be stopped or reduced as much as possible by the use of Internet. The foregoing suggests that Internet use is not unassociated with government corruption which probably exerts high influence on socio-economic well-being of developing and developed nations. In this study, we examine Internet use and access through mobile device, and other means. Extant literature is replete with findings on the subject.

Literature Review

Government corruption manifests itself in diverse forms. It could range from outright abuse of power or office to tacitly doing so. However, notwithstanding the form in which government corruption manifests itself, it seems to be negatively associated with a country’s socio-economic development. A study by Treisman,  found that less developed countries are plagued with government corruption than the developed countries. However, irrespective of whether in developing nations or developed nations, corruption is everywhere, only that in some countries, it is endemic or pervasive while, it is arbitrary in others. Government corruption was identified by Macrae as the reason for misappropriation of public resources, leading to inappropriate method of project selection appraisal for which the less efficient projects were chosen. Kessing et al. reported that government corruption has a tendency to hinder free flow of foreign direct investment to a country, thereby entrenching under-development. 

Musa, Meso, and Mbarika offered a more likely explanation for this situation, based on their study of countries in sub-Saharan African. They argued that developing nations are not open to change which includes the Introduction of online and Internet based technologies that are capable of combating or curbing corruption. Interestingly, in a study, it was reported that, as a result of Internet access cost-effectiveness, growing use was observed, leading to growth of several government initiatives. Notwithstanding that these initiatives have the capacity to reduce corruption in government, Internet access diffusion stands out, because, by increasing the level of engagement of Internet use by the citizens of a country, transparency can be achieved during engagements in electoral and bureaucratic processes as well as freedom of speech through free media. This way, Internet diffusion can combat corruption in government by increasing what is known as Internet use and Internet access through mobile device thereby, affecting the extent to which a people of a country are able to access the Internet in order to participate in the governance of their country. Consistent is this expectation with modernization theory; a broad theory of social change that attempts to identify those factors, often associated with technological diffusion, that result in positive and also negative social transformations.

Scott stated that modernization theory examines the internal factors of a society or country under the reasonable assumption that developing countries can attain the same development as the developed countries. This development attainment can be achieved through the forces of Internet diffusion. However, modernization theory has hardly been used in studies regarding the effect of Internet use on social welfare either at the national or global levels. Sandywell leveraging on modernization theory stated that the Internet is seen as a negative influence on social change, causing individuals to have the perception that they are losing control of their social space. Cooks and Isgro, from a modernization theory perspective argued that women can be empowered and emancipated through the forces of the Internet. Corrales and Westhoff carried out an empirical study premised on modernization theory, and examined the effect of democratic participation by citizens of a country, which is capable of increasing the wealth of the country especially because of Internet diffusion. Hence, from modernization theory approach, Internet diffusion will cause a noticeable effect on the government of any country in terms transparency or corruption. Kock and Gaskins noted that following the modernization theory, prediction can be made that Internet diffusion can enhance the effectiveness of any government, howbeit, partially, by reducing corruption and through different intermediate effects. Based on reviewed literature, we shall attempt some predictions which we consider consistent with extant literature to form the basis for our hypotheses development.

Kock and Gaskin  found that there was a significant association between voice and accountability and government corruption. This expectation is formalized through hypotheses H1a and H1b. Mobile phone Internet access diffusion has a positive effect on transparency. Internet use have a positive effect on transparency.

Conclusion

Kock and Gaskins found a causal link between voice and accountability and government corruption which is also consistent with the results of a focused study conducted by Coxson, as well as with the result of an extant review of literature of government corruption literature by Rothstein. We predict therefore that higher level of transparency will be negatively associated with government corruption but, will be positively associated with FDI.