Institutional Integrity and Whistleblowing Architecture in Corruption Prevention: A Systematic Literature Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65150/EP-jsshrs/V2E5/2026-07Keywords:
institutional integrity, whistleblowing; corruption prevention, systematic literature review, anti-corruption governance, public sector ethicsAbstract
This systematic literature review examines the relationship between institutional integrity frameworks and whistleblowing architecture as mechanisms for corruption prevention. Drawing on 1,818 deduplicated studies identified across Google Scholar and Crossref, with a primary analytical focus on 1,296 papers published between 2016 and 2026, the review follows the PRISMA protocol to synthesize evidence on how reporting systems and organizational ethics interact to either sustain or suppress corrupt practices. The review finds that whistleblowing remains critically underutilized: despite growing legal protections under international frameworks such as the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), fear of retaliation and weak organizational trust continue to suppress disclosure rates across public and private sectors. Three dominant thematic clusters emerge from the literature — the psychology of reporting behavior, the design of institutional reporting mechanisms, and the harmonization of global regulatory standards — each illuminating a distinct gap between policy intention and operational reality. The review concludes that effective corruption prevention depends not on legal instruments alone, but on a dynamic alignment between structural oversight mechanisms, leadership accountability, and a genuine organizational culture of transparency. For policymakers and institutional leaders, the findings suggest that investing in psychological safety and independent oversight channels produces measurably better outcomes than compliance-driven reporting mandates. Future research should prioritize longitudinal studies that track whistleblowing outcomes across institutional reform cycles.
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