Entrepreneurs’ Propensity for Corruption: A Theoretical Framework

This conceptual paper develops an integrative theoretical framework to understand entrepreneurs' propensity for corruption through the lens of rational choice theory. While entrepreneurship is often celebrated for contributing to economic development and innovation, the dark side of entrepreneurial behaviour, particularly corruption, remains understudied. The author proposes a comprehensive model that explains how entrepreneurs evaluate and engage in corrupt practices. It is argued that entrepreneurs' decisions to engage in corruption are influenced by rational calculations of costs and benefits and the interplay between internalized norms and deliberative decision-making processes. This paper contributes to organizational theory by bridging the gap between rational choice and normative approaches to ethical decision-making while offering practical insights for anti-corruption efforts in entrepreneurial contexts.