Institutional Trust and Perceptions of Effectiveness in Corruption Prevention

It is commonly assumed that the success of anti-corruption agencies (ACAs) is partially dependent on institutional trust and positive perceptions of their effectiveness. The relationship between trust and effectiveness is seen to be direct, causal and mutually reinforcing, forming a virtuous circle: perceived effectiveness generates institutional trust and institutional trust enhances effectiveness. Conversely, a perceived lack of effectiveness will impact negatively on public trust in an institution, while a loss of institutional trust can jeopardise its performance. However, our previous research on Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) (GRF 9042104, 2015) suggests that the relationship between trust and the perception of effectiveness is more complex, a finding which, if proven, has important implications for the work of ACAs and possibly other government institutions.We argue that institutional trust in an ACA is multi-faceted. It is composed of two major elements: 1) evaluations based on different kinds of public perceptions including the effectiveness, powers and integrity of the ACA and (2) combinations of past and present perceptions which may interact to produce a nuanced view of trust in the ACA. Perceived effectiveness in combatting corruption may generate what we term "generalised trust", but there is no necessary positive linear relationship between effectiveness and institutional trust because positive perceptions may be based on factors other than effectiveness. For example, the institutionalisation of an ACA’s structures and processes over time may mitigate the impact of negative beliefs about its effectiveness. Even if an ACA is currently perceived to be ineffective, the overall level of trust, based on its previous performance, may still remain high. We will investigate the puzzling relationship between institutional trust and perceptions of effectiveness in We will use a mixed methods research approach. A survey will be conducted to measure institutional trust and perceptions of effectiveness and we will also analyse longitudinal raw data from the ICAC’s annual surveys (1977-2017). The quantitative research will be supplemented by a qualitative analysis of selected corruption-related cases and their perceptual impacts on institutional trust and effectiveness in this research.This research will provide ground-breaking material for the academic analysis of trust and effectiveness in ACAs and, more broadly, in government institutions. It will also have practical implications in providing a more nuanced picture of public perceptions of the ICAC and a better understanding of the factors contributing to Hong Kong's success in preventing corruption.