My work focuses on the boundaries and overlaps between corruption and other informal practices such as gift giving, brokerage, and clientelism. I have developed a novel approach to corruption research, which is to view corruption as a form of social exchange and resource transfer between corrupt actors. I meticulously use and develop this conceptual framework in my theoretical and empirical work. This approach challenges the previously dominant ways of explaining corruption, which stem from rational-actor and social constructivist approaches. My scholarly agenda centers on four main areas: corruption theory, corruption in Hungary, border corruption and informal practices. My most recent research deals with kinship and corruption in public administration.
