One of my friends turned me on to this site - Transparency International. It is a font of information on the levels of possible corruption in countries around the world - and ranks each country by a corruption index.
Many major western companies now have very strict rules of conduct for employees engaged in doing business - even in countries where corruption may be the norm. They are prohibited from paying bribes, hiring agents and consultants linked to corrupt regimes and individuals and in general must do business in an "above the board" manner.
But what happens when a "transparent" company runs up against a company that does not comply with the standard "norms", as we may see it, of doing business? Is it a foregone conclusion that they'll lose the deal? Seems so.
But beyond even the revenue impact of lost deals, "transparent" companies must support the people and processes (read overhead) to ensure their businesses remain ethical. This is a multi-million dollar expense that "non-transparent" companies don't have - and can sink back into winning more questionable deals - or even lowering their prices in areas of the world where business transparency is a "must" or "should".
I guess it all boils down to the fact that although markets are "globalized" how we do business, and how we preceive business ethics are still based on our culture, government, and perception of what is right and what is wrong - things that are not and probably never will be - in agreement. Will "the good guys" of our culture win?
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