Unpacking Public Perceptions of Effectiveness in Anti-Corruption Agencies: The Case of Hong Kong

Abstract

Anti-corruption agencies (ACAs) serve the important function of protecting society’s moral and legal standards. How does the public perceive their effectiveness? What variables influence these perceptions? To what extent does perceived effectiveness interact with the level of trust in a government institution? Using the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) in Hong Kong as a case and based on a disaggregated approach, this study attempts to unpack and understand public perceptions of ACA’s effectiveness in controlling corruption. It argues that the perceived effectiveness of the ICAC has two dimensions: an organizational dimension reflecting public perceptions of its structure, functions, procedures, and the integrity of personnel and an environmental dimension focusing on its ability to deal effectively with the changing social environment. The study also shows that trust may serve as a moderating variable to substitute or complement the impact of these dimensions on perceptions of institutional effectiveness. The data of this study are drawn mainly from a large-scale original survey conducted in Hong Kong in June 2019 and from official documents of the ICAC and the Hong Kong government.