From Perceived Injustice and Reward Craving to Corrupt Tendencies: Mediatory Roles of Moral Intelligence Among Security Personnel

Abstract

Corrupt tendencies among security personnel remain a major challenge in many developing countries, particularly where public trust in institutions is weak. Previous studies have linked corruption-related behaviors to perceptions of injustice and excessive concern for personal rewards. However, less is known about the protective role of moral intelligence in these relationships. This study examined whether moral intelligence mediates the relationships between perceived organizational injustice, reward craving, and corrupt tendencies among security personnel in Nigeria. Participants were 225 personnel drawn from three public security organizations (105 males, 120 females). Standardized measures of perceived organizational injustice, reward craving, moral intelligence, and corrupt tendencies were administered. Results showed that corrupt tendencies were positively associated with perceived organizational injustice and reward craving, but negatively associated with moral intelligence. Hierarchical regression analyses further indicated that moral intelligence significantly predicted lower corrupt tendencies after controlling for socio-demographic variables. Mediation analyses showed that moral intelligence weakened the positive relationships of perceived injustice and reward craving with corrupt tendencies. The findings suggest that strengthening moral intelligence may reduce corruption vulnerability among security personnel, even under conditions of perceived unfairness and unmet reward expectations. Implications for anti-corruption policy, ethics training, and organizational reform are discussed.