Bribery ‘wrong but unavoidable’ in Oz, claim managers

SYDNEY - Nine out of ten people in Australia think bribery and corruption is wrong but unavoidable, revealed a study of mid-level business managers’ attitude to corruption.

Aussies working in Sydney and abroad know that bribery is illegal, but are still willing to ignore their morals and ethics if it could get them a contract or benefit their company in any way, according to the new study.

Almost 80 per cent of participants said they were aware of unethical practices within their organisations.

Michael Segon, a business ethicist at RMIT University in Melbourne, conducted the study.

He came to the conclusion that most of the people surveyed were unsure of how they should behave when doing business in another country.

If offered a bribe, many would be reluctant to discuss the matter with their bosses.

According to Segon, the research revealed that Australian business leaders have not taken heed of the recent incidents such as the jailing of the Australian Rio Tinto executive Stern Hu in China.

“If companies don’t address this issue their employees will continue to see bribery and corruption as a normal part of business. They think this is what they have to do in order to get the job done,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Segon as saying.

Companies do not think about the ethics when they are flourishing, said Segon.

“‘They see it as important but they don’t think it is a problem in their business. When they are doing well they want to focus on that rather than looking at potential problems,” he added.

He will present his findings at a conference called ‘Ethics in the Professional Life: Past, Present and Future’ at the University of Sydney. (ANI)