The evolutionary trajectory of procurement corruption networks: a dynamic model of corruption networks configuration

This paper examines the evolutionary trajectories of procurement corruption networks by proposing a dynamic model grounded in two comparative case studies from Brazil and Canada. Moving beyond static conceptions of corruption, we conceptualize corruption networks as adaptive organizational forms that evolve in response to internal dynamics and external pressures. The model identifies three sequential phases—embryonic, sophistication, and fragmentation—and distinct trajectories, ranging from early decline to increased sophistication. Each trajectory reflects potential configurations of strategic tasks performed at varying intensities and in various ways (such as organizing members, generating rents, and evading control) throughout the network’s lifecycle, as well as shifts in environmental threats and opportunities. By analyzing how corruption networks transition between phases and adapt their structure, we shed light on the contextual variables that sustain or destabilize corruption networks over time. The findings contribute to the literature on corruption as a process and provide insights into targeted anticorruption strategies that account for the life cycle of corruption networks.