Purpose: Managerial corruption threatens organizational integrity and can shift organizational culture away from professional and ethical values. Organizational charlatan culture, reflected in deception, exaggerated capabilities, and personal gain through unrealistic displays, may emerge from corruption. This study aimed to develop a fuzzy cognitive map of corrupt behaviors’ effects on organizational charlatan culture and identify causal relationships among these variables.

Method: This applied study used a mixed-methods approach with an exploratory survey design. Semi-structured interviews with 20 management scholars and human resource managers were conducted. Content validity was confirmed through CVR (0.78) and CVI (0.85), while coding reliability was established using Cohen’s Kappa (0.81). Participants completed a pairwise comparison questionnaire based on Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping, with test–retest reliability of 0.83.

Findings: Weak transparency and monitoring systems were strongest drivers, followed by ineffective appointment systems and pathological leadership styles. Organizational inefficiency and decline were the main consequences, followed by reduced service quality, customer loss, and diminished legitimacy and public trust.

Conclusion: Strengthening monitoring, meritocracy, ethical leadership, and transparency within organizations can limit managerial corruption and prevent charlatan culture.