Vincenzo Zarone

Disclosure on Measures to Prevent Corruption Risks: A Study of Italian Local Governments

ABSTRACT This article investigates the characteristics of the disclosures of anticorruption measures that Italian local governments (LGs) publish to increase transparency, public accountability, and citizens’ trust in public administration. The analysis of the anticorruption plans of a sample of Italian LGs shows that this type of disclosure might be a way of repairing organizational legitimacy after an occurrence of corruption. More external directors in the governing body also increase the pressure on LG managers to publish information about anticorruption measures. Finally, larger LGs demonstrate a greater propensity to provide information on the actions implemented to mitigate corruption risks.

An Evolutionary Transparency Approach to Public Accountability

The concept of accountability reflects the growing importance that transparency has assumed in Italy and elsewhere. The evolutionary path of transparency in the Italian public sector from the post-war period to the present day emerges as in increasingly pervasive transparency, both in form and substance. The general, specific, and prospective guidelines are aimed at: strengthening the constitutional principles of impartiality and the good performance of public administrations; increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of public administration activities, safeguarding public finances and preserving public management legitimacy; measuring and externally communicating the value created; producing and organising meaningful data in support of open government policies to increase the welfare of the economy .