Reflecting on the role of universities in the fight against corruption

Abstract

Purpose – Corruption continues to ravage societies around the world. The fight against corruption can be fruitful only if approached from multiple standpoints. Thus, corruption must also be approached from an academic and educational perspective. The purpose of this paper is to provide a good practice example of how universities and business schools can take actions to align themselves with the international sustainability and anticorruption agenda. Design/methodology/approach – The six principles of the United Nations Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) provide a framework for higher education institutions to address corruptionrelated issues. This paper presents the case story of the Swiss-based University of Applied Sciences HTW Chur, which developed an academic working agenda on corruption-related topics based on the principles of the PRME. Findings – The case story shares the actions that HTW Chur has taken and the benefits that have resulted from the university’s work. The findings show that to address corruption-related issues, scholars from the university took actions related to four principles in the PRME: method, research, partnership and dialogue. Furthermore, the results indicate that in addition to the university itself, public and private institutions have also profited from the actions taken. Research limitations/implications – This paper is founded on a single case story; thus, the usual limitations of this research design apply. Practical implications – It becomes apparent that the needs of the private sector in the fight against corruption could be addressed by engaging in and strengthening partnerships with universities. Thus, it seems beneficial to develop guidelines and standards to facilitate collaborations and dialogue in a participatory and transparent way. Originality/value – The paper provides a good practice example of how universities can take actions to align themselves with the international sustainability and anticorruption agenda.