Factors in the formation of corruption links in public procurement: a meta-analytic synthesis of empirical research

Aleksandr Litvinenko; Vladislava O. Soboleva

UDC

338.246.2

VAK Russia

5.2.3

FACTORS IN THE FORMATION OF CORRUPTION LINKS IN PUBLIC PROCUREMENT: A META-ANALYTIC SYNTHESIS OF EMPIRICAL RESEARCH Factors in the formation of corruption links in public procurement: a meta-analytic synthesis of empirical research

АА Аа

Published in Economic policy and national security · Pages 51–64 · Rubric: ECONOMIC SECURITY

Received: 04.05.2026 Accepted: 26.06.2026 Published: 31.07.2026 Language of publication: RUS

Authors

Aleksandr Litvinenko

ORCID

Vladislava O. Soboleva

ORCID

Aleksandr Litvinenko

Academic degree: doctor of economic sciences

Science rang: professor

Saint Petersburg University of the Ministry Internal Affairs of Russian Federation Professor · Department of Economic Security

ORCID

Vladislava O. Soboleva

Academic degree: candidate of economic sciences

Sankt-Peterburgskiy universitet MVD Rossii Lecturer · Department of Economic Security · Russian Federation

ORCID

ABSTRACT

Introduction. The significant volume of budget funds passing through the contractual system renders the sphere of public procurement sensitive to corruption risks. Corruption links do not always manifest as direct violations of the law and may form through the selection of procurement procedures, preparation of documentation, establishment of requirements for participants, determination of the initial price, and the frequency of interaction between the purchaser and individual suppliers. Consequently, analysing the factors and mechanisms by which the procurement procedure can be used to restrict competition and entrench the advantageous position of a particular participant becomes especially important. Methods. A structured meta-analytic approach was employed in the study to summarise empirical findings presented in foreign research on corruption risks and links in the realm of public procurement. The unit of analysis was an individual empirical effect, including the factor, mechanism, procurement outcome, evaluation method, and quantitative metric. Statistical pooling of coefficients was not conducted; instead, substantive comparison of effects with subsequent clustering was used. Results. Five groups of factors and mechanisms were identified: procedural discretion and distorted supplier selection; threshold manipulation of the procurement procedure; persistence of administrative links and the structure of procurement interaction; transparency and digitalisation as limitations on corruption links; control and audit as ambiguous institutional factors. It was established that an expansion of the purchaser's discretion could be associated with an increase in contract price, a decrease in the winner's productivity, a higher likelihood of a related firm winning, and reduced transparency of execution. Threshold regulation can create incentives to adjust the expected cost of procurement to a less transparent procedure. Transparency and digitalisation only limit corruption risks if the information is structured, accessible for searching, and suitable for external control. Conclusions. A multi-level model of corruption links in public procurement has been developed, wherein institutional conditions and procedural opportunities transition into mechanisms that restrict competition, distort winner selection, and entrench stable procurement interactions. The results obtained allow for viewing corruption in procurement not merely as a collection of individual offences but as an institutionally conditioned process arising from the use of formally permissible elements of the contractual system to restrict access for participants and provide advantages to specific suppliers.

KEYWORDS

public procurement, corruption, factors, determinants, economic security

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Litvinenko A. N., Soboleva V. O. Factors in the formation of corruption links in public procurement: a meta-analytic synthesis of empirical research // . 2026. pp. 51-64. (Date of access 19.08.2026).

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Aleksandr Litvinenko, Soboleva V. O.. "Factors in the formation of corruption links in public procurement: a meta-analytic synthesis of empirical research." (2026): 51-64.

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FACTORS IN THE FORMATION OF CORRUPTION LINKS IN PUBLIC PROCUREMENT: A META-ANALYTIC SYNTHESIS OF EMPIRICAL RESEARCH Factors in the formation of corruption links in public procurement: a meta-analytic synthesis of empirical research

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