Corruption and international business in Africa: insights and recommendations from a systematic literature review

Citation

Elsahn Z, Arte P, Arakpogun EO & Wanjiru R (2025) Corruption and international business in Africa: insights and recommendations from a systematic literature review. In: Arte P, Elsahn Z, Arakpogun E & Cornwell AAD (eds.) Research Handbook on Sustainable Business Practices in the Global South. Edward Elgar Publishing, pp. 70-106. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035330133.00012

Abstract
Using a sample of 68 empirical studies published between 2000 and 2023, this paper provides key insights into the relationship between corruption and international business (IB) in Africa. We identify four key domains within the literature, namely conceptualisation and measurement of corruption, contextual factors, impact of corruption on firm-level outcomes, and impact of corruption on country-level outcomes. Our findings indicate that the conceptualisation of corruption is largely restricted to public versus private corruption; and measurement inconsistencies and reliance on perceived measures over raw data have produced skewed results. We observe that factors such as national culture and taxation are key instigators of corruption in Africa. Finally, we observe that results have been mixed on the relationship between corruption and firm- and country-level outcomes, where both the ‘wheel greaser’ and ‘wheel sander’ arguments have garnered support. We conclude by providing implications for theory and practice.

Keywords
Africa; Corruption; Foreign direct investment; International business; Trade