‘Strong Personalities’ and ‘Strong Institutions’ Mediated by a ‘Strong Third Force’: Thinking ‘Systems’ in Corruption Control Emmanuel Yeboah-Assiamah 1 Published online: 14 June 2016 Abstract Corruption in public sector is a complex, ‘messy’ and ‘fuzzy’ phenomenon which involves calculus machinations between actors and constantly growing in sophistication. Consequently, an attempt to prevent, control or fight it requires systems thinking that ranges from public officials with integrity and personal ethics [strong personalities]; administrative rules and procedures as well as governments adopting, enforcing and monitoring appropriate systems [strong institutions]. This paper provides a systems approach to enhancing public sector ethics through ‘a corruption control tripod’ in preventing, controlling and combating corruption in all its forms. This framework discusses three overarching pillars and argues that adopting a reductionist approach in corruption control would yield futility; there is a need for synthesis so that each one would reinforce the other. Keywords Corruptioncontrol . Publicsector . Institutions . Integrity . Ethics . Civilsociety Introduction A stinky public sector has a cascading effect on overall development of people and all entities within the state (Alm et al. 2016; Banerjee 2016; Ashforth et al. 2008; Bardhan 1997), ousting corruption should correspondingly be regarded as a responsibility of all stakeholders, individuals and organizations (including the state machinery). Farazmand (1999) paints a picture of corruption’ s overarching consequence by providing that Bcorruption has turned societal resources into illegal, immoral, and unproductive Public Organiz Rev (2017) 17:545–562 DOI 10.1007/s11115-016-0351-5 * Emmanuel Yeboah-Assiamah 19301537@sun.ac.za 1 School of Public Leadership, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa # Springer Science+Business Media New York 2016