Tit for tat: Horizontal solidarity as a buffer for micro-level corruption in the framework of the social exchange theory
Itzkovich, Y. & Dolev, N.
Anti-corruption in Research, in Practice, and in the Classroom, 181-206
Incivility Conceptual
This chapter explores how horizontal solidarity among coworkers can function as a buffer against micro-level corruption in organizations, using social exchange theory as its theoretical scaffold. Corruption is often studied at the institutional or macro level, yet much of its everyday expression occurs in small, mundane acts—petty favoritism, selective enforcement, looking the other way—that are produced and sustained through interpersonal exchange among peers. We draw on the social exchange theory notion of reciprocity ("tit for tat") to show how both constructive and destructive patterns of coworker interaction are maintained over time: where solidarity is strong, peers reinforce ethical norms and discourage self-serving conduct; where solidarity is weak or instrumental, incivility and deviance can propagate and normalize corruption. Building on prior empirical work linking coworker solidarity, incivility, and deviant behavior, we sketch how peer-level dynamics feed into and are shaped by organizational climate, leadership, and institutional context. The chapter further discusses implications for anti-corruption education and classroom practice, arguing that students and managers need to understand corruption as an interpersonal as well as a structural phenomenon. Practical recommendations are offered for fostering healthy horizontal solidarity and for embedding anti-corruption thinking into curricula and workplace training.
Cite
Itzkovich, Y., & Dolev, N. (2019). Tit for tat: Horizontal solidarity as a buffer for micro-level corruption in the framework of the social exchange theory. In Anti-corruption in Research, in Practice, and in the Classroom (pp. 181-206). Age Publishing.
Itzkovich, Y., and N. Dolev. "Tit for tat: Horizontal solidarity as a buffer for micro-level corruption in the framework of the social exchange theory." Anti-corruption in Research, in Practice, and in the Classroom, Age Publishing, 2019, pp. 181-206.
Itzkovich, Y., and N. Dolev. 2019. "Tit for tat: Horizontal solidarity as a buffer for micro-level corruption in the framework of the social exchange theory." In Anti-corruption in Research, in Practice, and in the Classroom, 181-206. Age Publishing.
@incollection{itzkovich2019,
title = {Tit for tat: Horizontal solidarity as a buffer for micro-level corruption in the framework of the social exchange theory},
author = {Itzkovich, Y. and Dolev, N.},
booktitle = {Anti-corruption in Research, in Practice, and in the Classroom},
publisher = {Age Publishing},
year = {2019},
pages = {181-206}
}