CULTURAL ATTITUDE TOWADS CORRUPTION

Plan

-Introduction

-Definition of corruption

-Factors promoting corruption

-Measurement of corruption

-Forms of corruption

-Corruption across cultures

-Language of corruption.

Introduction

Corruption is a worldwide phenomenon not limited to any one region. Corruption is not a new phenomenon. Two thousand years ago, Kautilya, the prime minister of an Indian king, had already written a book, Arthashastra, discussing it. Seven centuries ago, Dante placed bribers in the deepest parts of Hell, reflecting the medieval distaste for corrupt behavior. Shakespeare gave corruption a prominent role in some of his plays; and the American Constitution made bribery one of two explicitly-mentioned crimes which could lead to the impeachment of a U.S. president.

No country is immune from the consequences of corruption. It occurs in all countries, regardless of whether they are rich or poor, dictatorships or democracies, socialist or capitalists. Governments have fallen because of accusations of corruption. Prominent politicians have lost their official positions due to corruption. Experts say that corruption breeds corruption and the longer it persists the more endemic it becomes.

Corruption in cross-cultural perspective is a complex area of study which challenges our basic notions of what is right and wrong. In many countries, bribery is a way of life.  There are many places where open corruption has taken hold and is endemic (widespread) among the population; e.g., Mexico with its mordida; Russia with its mafia; Africa with its swindles; Asia with its gift-giving; and America with its padding (doctoring the books).  Whole countries can be said to have become kleptocracies, such as Zaire, Paraguay, and Haiti to name a few.  Politicians often demand "kickbacks" from employees and contractors; tax and border officials overlook violations for cash; police and judges overlook crime if the price is right; and citizens regularly pay teachers and doctors extra to get decent educational and medical services.  All such practices are far too common in many nations of the world.  Bribery is particularly shameless where it occurs endemically.  Economically, it functions as an extra tax on citizens as well as foreign investors.  It impedes development and growth.  It has a documented "corrosive effect" on public trust, the rule of law, and societal mores as a whole.  The existence of widespread bribery plays a significant role in the operations of organized crime and terrorism – terrorists pay bribes, money-launderers pay bribes, and anyone who traffics in people, narcotics, weapons, or drugs pay bribes.  Bribery is so embedded in some places that it is charitably referred to as "facilitating payments" or "grease."  It is what it takes to get anything done in some places.

Definition of corruption

Defining corruption itself is problematic. It has been defined in many different ways, each lacking in some aspect. It can be simply defined as behavior that corrupts.

Some experts defined corruption as an all-inclusive variable comprising of bribes, bureaucratic inefficiency, extortion, and embezzlement. The most well known is “the abuse of public roles or resources for private benefit” This is the definition used by the World Bank. (Robins on, 1998). Similarly, Transparency International has defined corruption as the misuse of entrusted power for private gain (Transparency International, 2005). From these definitions it should not be concluded that corruption cannot exist within private sector activities. Especially in large private enterprises, this phenomenon clearly exists, as for example in procurement or even in hiring. It also exists in private activities regulated by the government. In several cases of corruption, the abuse of public power is not necessarily for one’s private benefit but it can be for the benefit of one’s party, class, tribe, friends, family, and so on. In fact, in many countries some of the proceeds of corruption go to finance the political parties.

Not all acts of corruption result in the payments of bribes. For example, a public employee who claims to be sick but goes on vocation is abusing his public position for personal use. Thus, he is engaging in the act of corruption even though no bribe is paid. Or a president of a country who has an airport built in his small hometown is also engaging in the act of corruption that does not involve the payment of a bribe.

It is important to distinguish bribes from gifts. In many instances, bribes can be disguised as gifts. A bribe implies reciprocity while a gift should not. However, even though the distinction is fundamental, it is at all times difficult to make. At what point does a gift become a bribe? Does the distinction depend on the sizes of gifts? What about cultural differences that can explain different sizes of gifts? What if a large gift is not given to the person who provides the favour but to a relative to that person? In any case this indicates that identification of a bribe may not always be simple.