The potential negative impact of the misuse of Transparency International’s corruption index by the financial services industry

Purpose - This paper aims to raise awareness of the potential misuse of Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) within the financial services industry and outline the potential negative impact this may have on society in certain developing countries. Design/methodology/approach - This piece of research adopted a mix-method approach across three strands; an online line anonymous survey, consisting of 24 questions, face to face interviews with 10 anti-bribery and corruption compliance officers and three focus group, one in Hong Kong, India and Mexico. Findings - The results of the research have evidenced that there is a lack of understanding of the methodology used to compile the CPI within the financial services industry and there is a potential adverse impact if misused. Research limitations/implications - A potential limitation was the fact that the survey was written in English yet was distributed to some countries where English was not the respondents’ first language. As such, it was accepted that there may have been context challenges or a misunderstanding of what the question asked. Practical implications - By raising awareness of the methodology of the CPI and the advantages and disadvantages of its use, it will enable the financial service industry to better understand the implications of using such an index and the impacts of its misuse. Social implications - This research highlights that through the potential misuse and lack of understanding of the CPI by the financial services industry this may have an adverse financial, growth and development impact on societies in low ranked countries. Originality/value - This paper draws on a sub-set of results from a wider piece of research that was undertaken for a Professional Doctorate. This research combined academic knowledge with practitioner research skills, providing an original contribution to knowledge surrounding corruption from a more targeted focal point, particularly with input from anti-bribery and corruption compliance officers in the financial service industry.