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The role of corruption in skyscraper development

Vliet, Annick van (2021) The role of corruption in skyscraper development. Master thesis.

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Abstract

Despite the global boom in skyscraper development, the drivers of skyscraper development are still somewhat poorly understood. In particular, recent research raises the question of whether non-economic factors also determine the decision to build skyscrapers. Some researchers have conceptualized the skyscraper as an expensive and socially wasteful “white elephant” project and suggested an association between corruption and skyscraper developments. This study conducts research into the role of corruption in the development of skyscrapers and hypothesizes that a low control of corruption allows to more easily realize such projects. The skyscraper data is drawn from a global dataset recording various features of skyscrapers for over 50 developed and emerging countries worldwide and the corruption data is drawn from an established corruption index. The results show that skyscraper development diffused from the least corrupt countries to more corrupt countries between 1996 and 2019. In addition, a relation between the control of corruption and skyscraper development is also found, although a positive one for all countries and a negative one for emerging market countries. This means that worldwide a decrease of corruption increases skyscraper developments, while in emerging market countries a decrease of corruption results in a decrease of skyscraper development. The role of corruption in skyscraper development thus depends on the stage of development of a country. Finally, given the severity of corruption and the fact that major capital and power is involved in the development of skyscrapers, this study’s findings further underline the importance of making corruption a more central element in both real estate theory and practice.

Item Type: Thesis (Master)
Degree programme: Real Estate Studies
Supervisor: Daams, M.N.
Date Deposited: 07 Sep 2021 13:53
Last Modified: 07 Sep 2021 13:53
URI: https://frw.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/3718

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