Exodus 23:8 “Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the innocent.”
For the person receiving the bribe, it is very easy to deny its intent or to rationalize it as something else. Before participating in bribery, the Israelites needed to think of the spiritual harm there was in giving or receiving a bribe.
Principle: Bribery is bad for the briber, the person receiving the bribe and everybody who finds out about it.
Bribery in any form has a very destructive effect on the character of people everybody in the business relationship. It is toxic and carcinogenic.
Salt Lake City joined a culture of corruption with the Olympic Committee in its bid to win the 2002 Olympic Games. It included personal gift-giving to the committee members, paid-for trips to the sites and a grant to aid foreign athletes. All of this was according to a report by a U.S. panel appointed to investigate and make recommendations. They noted that gift-giving was made possible by the closed nature of the IOC and by the absence of ethical and transparent financial controls in its operations. They urged that any country bidding for the Olympics should sign an international treaty against bribery.
Several years ago our Congress passed legislation banning bribery in international commerce. The commerce department estimated that U.S. companies lose billions of dollars a year in contracts due to bribery by competitors from Europe and other regions where the practice remains common and is often tax-deductible. But even within the U.S., the insurance industry seems ripe for bribery investigations. It is commonly accepted practice for independent companies to rig bids and collect fees from major insurance companies for throwing business their way. Top brokers in New York are under investigation for these practices along with insurance companies such as Hartford Financial, Munich-American Risk Partners and AIG, the largest U.S. commercial insurer.
A manufacturers’ rep paid bribes to a J.C. Penney’s buyer for a couple of years and was convicted of a felony and sentenced to five years in probation and 200 hours of community service. He represented several vendors who did not know he was bribing. Tough way to get business. High price to pay for whatever commissions were earned.
Discussion:
1. Bribery in all forms is wrong. What are some subtle forms that go on in your industry?
2. How does bribery affect the flow of business?
3. How does bribery affect the people in your business?
