The Dark Side of Governance in Developing Countries: Mapping Multidimensional Governance

Abstract

This study maps the intellectual landscape of research on the dark side of governance in developing countries by examining its evolution, thematic structure, and emerging research directions. A bibliometric analysis was conducted on 256 Scopus-indexed articles published between 2016 and 2026. Bibliographic data were analyzed using Bibliometrix through the Biblioshiny interface in R, covering publication trends, relevant sources, authorship and institutional productivity, geographical distribution, keyword co-occurrence, and thematic mapping. The findings reveal substantial growth in research on the dark side of governance, particularly in recent years, and identify four interconnected thematic clusters: governance, institutions, and development; corruption, accountability, and governance failure; digital governance and transparency reform; and socioeconomic consequences of governance dysfunction. Although corruption remains a prominent theme, its growing links to institutional quality, accountability, digital transformation, and development suggest a broader conceptualization of governance dysfunction. The study concludes that the dark side of governance is increasingly understood as a multidimensional phenomenon encompassing institutional, political, technological, and socioeconomic dimensions. This perspective broadens the conventional good governance approach by highlighting institutional weaknesses, accountability failures, digital risks, and the interaction between formal and informal institutions, while providing a foundation for future research on governance dysfunction in developing countries.Keywords: Dark side of governance, Governance dysfunction, Institutional theory, Developing countries.