Bribery cross Cultures - Research Paper Example

However, the same is not true for all cultures. In countries such as China, Russia, Mexico, India and others bribes are a part of everyday business, on the other hand, countries such as “Netherlands, Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, and others rank the lowest in this list” (Supraner, 2010). Furthermore, the probability of occurrence of bribery related incidents is most likely in sector such as real estate, property development, oil and gas, construction, manufacturing, mining and public sector contracts.

Furthermore, it appears that countries with particularistic cultures, which believe more in flexibility and adaption of rules according to situation, are more likely to accept and rationalize bribers. However, countries with universalistic cultures, which believe that rules and regulations should remain the same for all and under all circumstances, are more likely to resist bribes and see it as unethical (Supraner, 2010). Since the perceptions about bribery differ with cultures it presents a great ethical challenge for companies to work in different cultures with satisfying their clients and preserving their ethical principles at the same time.

Nevertheless, a prevailing culture of bribery in any country does not provide a rationalization of engaging in the practice (Supraner, 2010). Article # 2 - Shell Bribes Among Culture of Corruption,' Panalpina Admits During the fall of 2010, “Shell and five other companies paid 236.5 million US dollars to the United States Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission due to the charges of corruption” (Voreacos & Calkins, 2010). Company officials agreed in front of the jury that during the period of 2002-2007, they paid thousands of dollars in bribes in “Angola, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Russia, and Turkmenistan” (Voreacos & Calkins, 2010).

These bribes were paid to avoid custom processes, quick processing, and brining counter band drugs and arms in these countries. Surprisingly, the top management of the company and majority of the employees were involved in these practices. Furthermore, these bribes were not a matter of one or two events but bribes were being paid to highest government officials as “gifts” so that they would preference to the clients and documents of Shell and Panalpina. Working in these countries for so many years, Panalpina had created 160 terms of bribes such as evacuations”, “export formalities”, sunshine” and “black cash” (Voreacos & Calkins, 2010).

Despite the fact that these companies, which also include “Pride International, Transocean, Tidewater, Noble and GlobalSantaFe” (Voreacos & Calkins, 2010), accepted their wrong doings but they also admitted that in the absence of these bribes, doing business in those countries becomes impossible. In short, the article stresses on the point that there are countries where bribe is a norm and even worse, a need. In the absence of the same, officials would deliberately try to put barriers in your way of business to force you to pay bribes.

They would create an environment to trouble or woo away the customers thus leaving the company with no choice except for paying the money to those people, in order to ensure its survival (Voreacos & Calkins, 2010). Article # 3 – Corruption across Borders As the world economy and business markets are becoming global,