An assessment of the ethical dimensions that impact on corruption

Abstract

This paper addresses the ethical dimensions of corruption. Corruption in the form of bribery is widespread in the developing world and this includes Mauritius. Corruption assessed in absolute terms is unethical. However, if one were to use relativistic views, one would make allowances for ‘mild’ forms of corruption like seeking favours to obtain unwarranted advantages or paying bribes in the form of ‘speed-up gratuities’. Our study shows that in many contexts, acts of corruption are accepted and justified either on the basis of the gains they bring to the individual who offered the bribe or undertake to seek the particular favour. It depends on the values prevailing in particular societies, hence notions of relativism. Another determinant of unethical conduct is the risk involved. As some of the literature emphasises, often the decision-maker may choose not to embark onto unethical conduct not because it is wrong in absolute terms, but because s/he is afraid of getting caught. This paper presents the assessment of specific acts of corruption, as made by our participants who were all from the business sector. Respondents rated scenarios representing instances of bribery, using the multi-dimensional ethics scale developed by Reidenbach and Robin (1988) as measurement device.