Gender Differences in Paying Bribes: The Role of Perceived Descriptive Norms of Corruption in Uganda

Abstract

Although a significant number of studies have reported that gender is associated with less corruption, the underlying mechanism is still unclear. Using 2017 Afrobarometer individual-level survey data for Uganda, this chapter examines gender differences in paying bribes and the mediating effect of perceived descriptive norms. We estimated a multivariate logistic model to examine the effects of gender on bribe-paying while controlling for individual and household factors, and then implemented the Karlsson-Breen-Holm method to determine the mediating effect of perceived descriptive norms of corruption on the relationship between gender and paying bribes. We observed significant gender differences in paying bribes for obtaining government documents and police assistance. Results further revealed that perceived descriptive norms significantly mediated the relationship between gender and paying bribes. The results suggest that gender differences in paying bribes can be sizably reduced by appropriate interventions that deal with social norms of corruption in society.