Impact of corruption on public value creation: does national developmental and technological level matter?

Purpose This paper investigates how corruption affects public value creation (PVC), and how this possible relationship is influenced by national developmental and technological levels across different countries. Design/methodology/approach The study applies a comprehensive measure of PVC, utilizing national level data from 187 countries, sourced from various United Nations agencies. Findings There is a strong and statistically significant relationship between corruption and PVC. Lower levels of national development and technological advancement intensify the correlation between corruption and PVC. Thus, the detrimental impact of corruption on PVC is robustly confirmed. Originality/value This study offers a new theoretical perspective by highlighting the underexplored relationship between corruption and PVC. It also addresses the empirical gap in understanding how the interaction between corruption and PVC is moderated by national developmental and technological levels.