Infrastructure transparency initiative and anticorruption in public infrastructure projects: a principal–agent perspective to the antecedents that enable (or hinder) the effectiveness of transparency

PurposeMany transparency initiatives, such as the Open Contracting Partnership, the Open Government Partnership and Infrastructure Transparency Initiative (also known as the Construction Sector Transparency Initiative and widely called CoST) have been used to fight corruption in public infrastructure projects (PIPs). However, questions remain about what antecedents enable (or hinder) the effectiveness of transparency in combating corruption within PIPs, as well as the typology of agency relationships that emerge in response to these antecedents.Design/methodology/approachExpanding the principal–agent theory, this paper adopts a qualitative approach to investigate the CoST transparency initiative. Interview data (n = 25) was collected and thematically analysed to examine how the CoST norm is enacted and to analyse the antecedents that enable (or hinder) the effectiveness of transparency in combating corruption.FindingsThe paper identifies the political, process and implementation antecedents that ensure that CoST features are enacted. This includes developing local capabilities, public engagement and site visits to establish assurance capabilities. It also includes nurturing dynamic political relationships, understanding local drivers and their shifting dynamics, adjusting accordingly and accepting to work with vested or corrupt interests to develop a multi-stakeholder approach to enacting transparency in PIPs. The theoretical contribution is discussed in relation to the identified typologies of agency relationships that emerge in light of these antecedents and when transparency is used to fight corruption in PIPs.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to the infrastructure and construction project management literature by theoretically expanding the discussion on the enactment of transparency for anticorruption outcomes in PIPs, and the implications of the agency relationships that emerge. The managerial contribution of the paper calls for project professionals to recognise and navigate the vulnerabilities identified within the typologies of the agency relationships when enacting transparency to fight corruption.