Corporate crime and systemic corruption in Brazil

• Grant number: 21/14926-9
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: May 01, 2022
• End date: July 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Political Science - State and Government
• Agreement: DFG
• Principal Investigator: Vanessa Elias de Oliveira
• Grantee: Vanessa Elias de Oliveira
• Principal researcher abroad: Markus Pohlmann
• Institution abroad: Heidelberg University, Germany
• Host Institution: Centro de Engenharia, Modelagem e Ciências Sociais Aplicadas (CECS). Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC). Ministério da Educação (Brasil). Santo André , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Bruno Bolognesi ; Bruno Wilhelm Speck ; Conrado Hübner Mendes ; Elizangela Valarini ; Paulo Roberto Neves Costa ; Rodrigo Rossi Horochovski ; Wagner Pralon Mancuso

Abstract

The purpose of this research project is to identify and explain the emerged pattern of corporate crime and political corruption in Brazil. For that, we are using a methodological approach combining qualitative and quantitative methods to analyze sources such as interviews and official records related to four large corruption and illegal electoral financing cases in Brazil. Using a multi-level framework of institutional analysis, we are mapping key changes in the setting of the Brazilian justice system and relating them to organizational forms of misconduct by companies and political parties, as well as pinpointing the mindsets of both main groups: the perpetrators and law enforcers. Our general question targets the analysis of corruption practices in order to elucidate (1) how does the system of economic and political corruption operate? (2) how successful have the institutional and organizational rules been in countering corruption and organizational crime? (3) which role is the anti-corruption regime playing related to the changes of corruption patterns on the level of political and economic organizations, as well as of the collective mindsets? Since the project started, we have been able to partially accomplish the general objective of identifying and explaining the emerged pattern of corporate crime and political corruption in Brazil. Nonetheless, this task is yet to be concluded in the upcoming months. There remains a challenge to incorporate the perspectives of the offenders through interviews, which were impaired due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The promising research agenda as well as the ongoing strategies of the team recommend an extension of this endeavor supported by the FAPESP for another two years. In the additional time, we can deliver all the expected results and engage in further dialogue with partners from Germany -who will also apply for additional time with DFG. Finally, the very important aspect of providing evidence-based suggestions to prevent wrongdoing from taking place also lies ahead of us and supports our query for an extension. (AU)