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Theoretical Overview on Corruption

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Combatting Corruption at the Grassroots Level in Nigeria
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Abstract

This chapter is a literature review on corruption. It includes an overview of relevant research on corruption and key concepts and theories guiding the study, including Maslow’s famous “Hierarchy of Needs” and Thalhammer et al.’s framework of Courageous Resistance. The chapter further reviews literature relating corruption to morality and ethics, motivation, religion, oath taking, and family upbringing. It examines a range of initiatives from both government and civil society, designed to prevent and counter corruption.

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Oluyitan, F.E. (2017). Theoretical Overview on Corruption. In: Combatting Corruption at the Grassroots Level in Nigeria. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44856-5_2

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