Uncovering the Transnational Networks, Organisational Techniques and State‐Corporate Ties Behind Grand Corruption: Building an Investigative Methodology

While grand corruption is a major global governance challenge, researchers notably lack asystematic methodology for conducting qualitative research into its complex forms. Toaddress this lacuna, the following article sets out and applies the corruption investigativeframework (CIF), a methodology designed to generate a systematic, transferable approachfor grand corruption research. Its utility will be demonstrated employing a case study thatcentres on an Australian‐led megaproject being built in Papua New Guinea’s capital city,Port Moresby. Unlike conventional analyses of corruption in Papua New Guinea, whichemphasise its local characteristics and patrimonial qualities, application of CIF uncoverednew empirical layers that centre on transnational state‐corporate power, the ambiguity ofcivil society, and the structural inequalities that marginalise resistance movements. Theimportant theoretical consequences of the findings and underpinning methodology areexplored.