Business, Bribery and the Evil

What bribery really is?

Bribery- it is a word we are all familiar with. We’ve seen movies, read articles, seen people get fired over cases related to bribery- but do we really understand what it is, and the effects that it has over a particular trade or job that the person taking a bribe is holding? For us people living in India, bribery has become a menace- something that every ‘corrupt’ official indulges in. However, do we ever go down at the root cause of it? Take the simple case of traffic rules,for instance.The general attitude of most people regarding them remains the same: It’d be better than paying (read: bribing) the constable on duty than paying a traffic ticket and going through all the associated hassles.The same people are the ones who later on complain about corruption and bribery. Hypocritical, isn’t it?

Businesses, and how bribery affects them

Let’s face it- bribery exists in all forms of businesses. And its major nature is not the presence of greed or dishonesty in the person accepting it, but it lies within the person giving the bribe. Most people bribe others in order to get their work done easily, or to gain benefits from illegitimate yet quicker sources.

However, bribery affects each and every kind of business worse than we have ever estimated or guessed. The World Bank estimated that close to 0.5% of the GDP is lost primarily due to corruption. The connections that corruption, bribery and businesses hold is far rather than anyone can estimate.Bribery and corruption, when entered into businesses, helps organize crime to grow along with these businesses.

A large variety of governmental functions take place through private organizations too- construction, defense and so on. Obviously, anything affecting any of these businesses would affect the functioning of the government, and in turn, the nation as a whole.Thus, bribery not only undermines the working of the law, but it also affects the trust that people hold in the various kinds of public institutions and hampers the economic development of the world as a whole.

What can a common citizen do to control and prevent bribery?

Often, people forget this very small yet strong point about themselves that they are the common public, the most powerful organization any country can have. And it is the people who have the power to increase, decrease as well as stop corruption and bribery.

Think of this for an instant- who bribes? Us! If the person giving it refuses to do so, then whom would the ‘dishonest individual’ ask it from. Once the officials, individuals and everyone else realizes that there is no one to offer or give bribes, then they’ll become better workers and be more honest in their dealings.

Bribery is not some incurable menace.We the people have the power to change it all, and it is high time that the citizens stop complaining, took action and brought bribery and its associated menace to an end.