On 22 May 2025, PULSE researcher Anna-Maija Lämsä participated in a scientific seminar organized by the Organisational Ethics, Leadership and Human Resource Management (ETHOS) research group at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland.
She presented a paper entitled “Mapping the landscape: Petty corruption in the organizational context of healthcare”, which examined the issue of petty corruption in healthcare organizations.
In her presentation, Anna-Maija introduced a framework for categorizing the primary forms of petty corruption in organizational settings. While extensive scholarly work has examined corruption in general, previous research has tended to downplay petty corruption, often considering it less consequential than grand corruption. However, empirical evidence suggests that petty corruption can have substantial cumulative effects and may serve as a pathway toward large-scale, systemic corruption. The conceptualization of petty corruption also varies considerably across the literature.
Drawing on prior research, the presentation defined petty corruption as a relational construct in which specific corrupt exchanges occur. It was emphasized that petty corruption refers to small-scale, everyday abuses of power, typically involving lower- and mid-level actors who accept small bribes, gifts, or other incentives in exchange for altering their behavior. Beyond material incentives, the presentation underscored that petty corruption may also be embedded in networks of solidarity and interpersonal trust, where exchanges serve to sustain or deepen social relationships.
Based on this perspective, two main categories of petty corruption were presented and discussed: (1) calculative exchanges, driven by opportunistic behavior, and (2) social bribes, often framed as polite gift-giving or reciprocal acts within relational exchanges. The framework was examined in the specific context of healthcare organizations.
The presentation also introduced the PULSE project.
Finally, the ETHOS research group has been operating at the University of Jyväskylä, School of Business and Economics since 2010. The school is a triple-accredited institution. The group organizes 5–6 research seminars annually, featuring both Finnish and international presenters.
