An 'institutional turn' in integrity management in China

Previous unsuccessful attempts at controlling corruption have led the Chinese government to change its strategy from campaign-style anti-corruption enforcement to institutionalized integrity management, referred to as an 'institutional turn' in this article. The 'turn' is characterized by rule-guided integrity building and manifests itself in the growth of various local integrity initiatives. Drawing on a particular case - the declaration of assets by local government officials - this article details the characteristics and mechanisms of the institutional change towards integrity management in China. In addition to a conceptual discussion of the institutional turn, the broad social and political implications beyond the turn itself are examined. As the findings of the article show, China's ongoing institutional turn towards integrity management implies a paradigm shift in understanding corruption and its changing patterns.