Corruption represents a significant governance and risk management failure that undermines institutional integrity, weakens internal controls, and erodes trust in both public and private organisations. Existing corruption indices measure prevalence; they provide limited insight into the behavioural and institutional risk drivers that enable corrupt conduct. This study examines corruption through a governance and risk management lens to identify the behavioural, sociological, environmental, and demographic triggers that increase corruption risk and expose weaknesses in control and oversight frameworks. A mixed-methods approach is adopted, combining a systematic review of the literature with quantitative and qualitative analysis of primary data collected through a structured questionnaire administered to 454 respondents across diverse demographic groups. Exploratory factor analysis, reliability testing, non-parametric tests, and multiple linear regression were employed to assess the relative importance of corruption triggers and the influence of demographic characteristics. Thematic analysis was used to contextualise and interpret empirical findings. The results indicate that behavioural risk factors, particularly emotional intelligence, moral rationalisation, and social norms, play a central role in enabling corrupt behaviour. Five dominant categories of corruption triggers were identified: positive emotions, environmental conditions, underlying causes, negative emotions, and economic pressures. The findings further reveal that weak governance structures, inadequate internal controls, and tolerance of unethical behaviour amplify corruption risk and contribute to institutional vulnerability. Demographic characteristics also influence perceptions of corruption and risk exposure. Corruption risk cannot be effectively mitigated solely through legal compliance, highlighting the need for organisations to integrate behavioural risk considerations into corporate governance frameworks, enterprise risk management systems, and internal control structures. By reframing corruption as a behavioural and institutional risk phenomenon, this study contributes to the governance and risk management literature. It provides practical insights for boards, regulators, insurers, and risk professionals seeking to strengthen oversight, ethical culture, and risk mitigation strategies.
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