Perceptions of corruption in Flanders: surveying citizens and police. A study on the influence of occupational differential association on perceptions of corruption

Abstract

This study is specifically designed to illustrate the differences between occupational status groups in the perception of corruption. Perceptions of corruption are studied in the present article using a theoretical framework based on Sutherland's differential association theory. A questionnaire was sent to 2256 Flemish citizens and 350 police officers. The core of the questionnaire was a set of 15 items describing potentially corrupt situations. The results indicate that the process of occupational differential association tends to influence people's perceptions of corruption. This study provides empirical support for an organisational explanation of how normative conflict in society translates into specific corruption resistance within different occupational status groups.