The Ethics of Bribery: Summaries of 24 Studies

Working Paper, 2022

This paper summarizes the results of 28 studies that were published between 2010 and 2020 on the ethics of bribery. The following 34 political jurisdictions are included: Argentina, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Egypt, England, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Ghana, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Mexico, New Zealand, Rwanda, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United States and Uzbekistan. It is part of a much larger project on the ethics of bribery that will be published in 2022.

Bibliography, 2023

Bribery is an ancient form of corruption. It has been present in most societies over the past few thousand years. The present bibliography lists more than 100 studies that have been done on this topic. The bibliography is subdivided into the following categories: theoretical studies, country studies, demographic studies, religious studies, summaries and other. Links to some studies are also provided.

Robert W. McGee, The Ethics of Bribery: An Introduction. In Robert W. McGee & Serkan Benk (Eds.), The Ethics of Bribery: Theoretical and Empirical Studies. (pp. xxx-xxx). Switzerland: Springer, forthcoming, 2023

This chapter introduces the reader to the chapters in the book, The Ethics of Bribery: Theoretical and Empirical Studies, and also briefly discusses the other publications in the ethics of bribery and ethics of tax evasion series.

Robert W. McGee & Yanira Petrides, Are Some Forms of Bribery Worse than Others? In Robert W. McGee & Serkan Benk (Eds.), The Ethics of Bribery: Theoretical and Empirical Studies. (pp. xxx-xxx). Switzerland: Springer, 2023, forthcoming. , 2023

The present study is part of a much larger study that examined the ethics of bribery and the ethics of tax evasion from a variety of perspectives. In this study, a survey was distributed to 64 students at a university in Mexico City. They were asked to place a number from 1 to 100 in the appropriate space to reflect their view on the seriousness of 75 acts, where 1 = not serious and 100 = extremely serious. The four bribery scenarios were ranked about in the middle. Paying a bribe when pressured to do so was significantly less serious than the other categories of briberyoffering to pay a bribe, accepting an unsolicited bribe, and soliciting a bribe. The other three categories of bribe were found to be equally serious (p > 0.05).

Robert W. McGee & Serkan Benk, Political Viewpoint and Attitudes toward Bribery: Summaries of 16 Studies. In Robert W. McGee & Serkan Benk (Eds.), The Ethics of Bribery: Theoretical and Empirical Studies. (pp. xxx-xxx). Switzerland: Springer, 2023, forthcoming, 2023

This chapter summarizes the results of 16 studies that were conducted on the relationship between political viewpoint and attitude toward bribery. Additional summaries will be published in the second volume of this series, The Ethics of Bribery: Country Studies.

American Business Law Journal, 2012

This article addresses a gap in the common understanding of corruption. The rules regarding corruption at both the macro-and the micro-level are well known, as are the consequences at the macro-level. The consequences at the micro-level, however, particularly for business firms, are not well understood. With respect to rules, at both the macro-and micro-levels the rules are very clear: do not pay bribes. At the macrolevel the consequences are well known: corruption has devastating effects on societies and economies. Although not often referred to in most corruption literature, the consequences at the micro-level can be discussed. This article begins with the direct and indirect costs imposed on firms that pay bribes. Firms that pay bribes spend more time and money dealing with governments, and bear the costs of distortions of internal resources. The article then examines the negative effects of corruption on existing relationships within the firm and potential relationships with parties outside of the firm. Finally, the article examines potential criminal and civil liability that a firm exposes itself to when it pays bribes. The totality of these costs and liabilities strongly suggest that the consequences for any given firm of paying a bribe would burden rather than benefit the firm.

Business Ethics: A European Review, 2004

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2000

The majority of research in conflict management focuses conflict resolution: the process of reaching a mutually beneficial solution for the negotiating parties. However, in some cases, the negotiation may impart substantial negative externalities onto third parties, so resolving the conflict may not be a socially optimal solution. Bribery is one such example: potential bribe-givers and birbe-takers often have to negotiate on the price, speed and quality of services. The outcome of a "successful" negotiation may be a structurally unsound building, or a driver"s license holder who cannot drive. The current paper examines bribery from a behavioral decision making perspective, zooming in on the economic and moral motivations of the negotiating parties and argues that the assignment of moral responsibility for bribery exchanges may play a significant role in the process.

2018

This paper provides an overview of corruption and bribery by examining the relevant legal definitions, societal effects, along with international conventions and frameworks with anti-corruption purposes.