RESTORING THE CAPACITY OF LEADERSHIP AS ROLE MODEL TO BUILD ANTI FRAUD CULTURE AND SYSTEM: A STUDY OF INDONESIA

Abstract

Fraud poses an enormous threat to all kinds of organizations worldwide, with its risks continue to increase in number and complexity. In Indonesia itself, rampant fraud and corruption still inflict our business climate and impede our national development ruthlessly. As the battle against fraud is evolving, the role of leadership is widely recognized as the crucial element in fraud management framework. Nonetheless, as much as many people’s trust towards leaders’ integrity seems to atrophy, whether leadership is still able to make a difference remains a big question mark. With its capacity crippled by a vicious cycle of fraud, the scope of leadership may be severely limited even if it were possible. For this reason, it is important to realize that the capacity of leadership needs to be restored in order to become role model in building anti-fraud culture and system. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to explore accounts of leadership, identify the impact of leadership on anti-fraud culture and system, describe the way fraud works in undermining the capacity of leadership, and finally to elaborate the solutions to restore the capacity of leadership as role model to build anti-fraud culture and system in an organization. To achieve these goals, the author delves into various literature, journals, books, reports, applicable laws and general principles of law, as well as conducts an empirical research through a survey. The survey was conducted with 358 respondents, of which the 142 are Indonesian citizen working in public sector, and 216 in private sector. Focusing on Indonesia, this research paper will reveal the current public perception towards leadership, unfold the real condition of leadership, discover an existing vicious cycle of fraud that entraps leaders, and proffer strategy to solve this problematic leadership issue.