Corruption

Bribery as a Business Strategy

Imagine the scene: your company is pursuing a big deal in a dodgy country – a “challenging market” – and things have started to unravel. You’re nearing the culmination of the negotiations and, after months of business dinners and late-night-cognac conversations, Mr. Avaricio, the government official making the final decision, has stopped taking your calls.

Instead, he communicates through a low-level colleague – who was previously very polite, but who now seems somehow to have the upper hand – that your competitor has offered to “include Mr. Avaricio in the deal” with a 10% share to be wired to his off-shore account.