Peer-reviewed study in Trends in Organized Crime argues that corruption evolves over time as enforcement, legal reforms and shifting actors reshape the structure and behaviour of corruption networks

Using qualitative network and document analysis of corruption cases in Italy at two different points in time, the research shows that changes in the effectiveness of the criminal-justice system, governance reforms and the roles of key actors can alter how corruption schemes are organised and sustained. The authors propose a conceptual framework viewing corruption as a dynamic network phenomenon, where relationships between public officials, intermediaries and private actors adapt to institutional pressures, meaning anti-corruption policies can unintentionally transform—rather than eliminate—the ways corrupt networks operate.