Promote or Inhibit?How Do Post-Materialistic Values Influence Chinese Corrupt Behavior?

Abstract

The influence of different cultural values on corrupt behavior can be observed. To examine the impact of post-materialistic values on preferences for corrupt behavior and its underlying mechanism, this study employs a fixed-effect model to investigate the relationship between post-materialistic values and corrupt behavior using data from the World View Survey (1990-2018) in the context of evolving Chinese societal values. Additionally, an intermediary effect model is utilized to estimate how liberal values (perception of social justice, tolerance towards non-mainstream behavior, and democratic preference) mediate these relationships. The empirical findings reveal a distinct 'U-shaped' association between post-materialistic values and preferences for corrupt behavior. Post-materialistic values have a suppressive effect on corrupt behavior up to a certain threshold; however, beyond that threshold, they tend to promote preferences for corruption. These results validate the applicability of post-materialistic theory across diverse cultural contexts and offer novel insights into combating corruption in developing countries.