General Strain Theory and Corruption among Grassroot Chinese Public Officials: A Mixed-method Study

Abstract

ABSTRACT The rampancy of corruption in China has stimulated a wide range of scholarly attention on its etiology. The general strain theory (GST) predicts that the economics-related strain, promotion-related strain, and work-related strain increase white-collar offenses. However, the generalizability of GST’s prediction of white-collar offenses in non-Western societies is unclear. Applying a sequential exploratory mixed-method design, this study involved interviews with 23 grassroot public officials, convicted for corruption, and surveyed 687 similar offenders in 60 prisons in China. The qualitative results show that previously mentioned strains are not sufficient to explain the strains that lead to corruption in Chinese public officials. Strains rooted in the unique political system and cultural values of China (resources strain, deviant subcultural strain, and Renqing (personal interests) strain) are also shown to be associated with corruption. The quantitative results indicate that all six types of strains are significantly and positively associated with the frequency of corrupt behavior. The current study not only expands the scope of GST to non-Western societies, but also provides suggestions on further revision and extension of GST.