Corruption is increasingly placed on top of the agenda of national governments and supra national institutions, such as the OECD, UN or the World Bank. A necessary condition for promoting sustainable economic growth is the pre-existence of a stable political system which is able to control corruption. Corruption, however, is a very complex issue, associated with institutional and cultural specificities, personality traits related to individualistic values, and criminal personalities. In this book the social, political and economic realities that prevail in particular settings are viewed from an interdisciplinary, multidimensional, and a multi country perspective. This book is divided into three parts. The first part presents a comprehensive, theoretical and empirical framework of corruption with an overview of literature on economic growth and corruption. Part two, encompasses the in-depth analysis of several countries, ranging from middle corrupted contexts like Portugal, to highly corrupted countries including Serbia, Russia, Thailand and China- the latter viewed from the perspective of firms from a very low corruption country such as Finland. The final part explores the prevention and control of corruption, looking at the public sector in Thailand and fighting corruption with different strategies. This volume is of the interest of those who study international economics, development economics or organised crime.

The recently-adopted OECD convention outlawing bribery of foreign public officials is welcome evidence of how much progress has been made in the battle against corruption. The financial crisis in East Asia is an indication of how much remains to be done. Corruption is by no means a new issue but it has only recently emerged as a global issue. With the end of the Cold War, the pace and breadth of the trends toward democratization and international economic integration accelerated and expanded globally. Yet corruption could slow or even reverse these trends, potentially threatening economic development and political stability in some countries. As the global implications of corruption have grown, so has the impetus for international action to combat it. In addition to efforts in the OECD, the Organization of American States, the World Trade Organization, and the United Nations General Assembly, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have both begun to emphasize corruption as an impediment to economic development. This book includes a chapter by the Chairman of the OECD Working Group on Bribery discussing the evolution of the OECD convention and what is needed to make it effective. Other chapters address the causes and consequences of corruption, including the impact on investment and growth and the role of multinational corporations in discouraging bribery. The final chapter summarizes and also discusses some of the other anticorruption initiatives that either have been or should be adopted by governments, multilateral development banks, and other international organizations.

This book examines the complex relationship between corruption and entrepreneurship in countries of varying levels of economic development. The authors explore the ways in which social welfare policies have changed in current economic and political environments as well as key challenges faced by the welfare policies. In addition, this book addresses three key questions with regard to the impact of corruption on institutions and social welfare: • Is corruption an additional burden in extensive regulatory environment on different types of entrepreneurship---necessity entrepreneurship, opportunity entrepreneurship, total entrepreneurial activity, self-employment, and newly registered firms? • Is corruption helpful for entrepreneurs who have aspiration to operate outside their home country border in highly regulated environment? • How does corruption affect income distribution generated through entrepreneurial activity? Entrepreneurship is an important factor for local and national economies as it generates employment and income that are crucial for economic development. Corruption can significantly influence the nature of decisions made by entrepreneurs, with profound effects on business creation, institutional development, and economic performance. For example, an entrepreneur with resources and networks might be able to influence the regulatory agencies to overlook violations, expedite permits, or bribe corrupt program administrators to violate the rules of distribution, exacerbating income inequality and obstructing economic growth and development. While corruption is not a new phenomenon, the current globalized economy has introduced trade into the corruption question as globalization puts pressure on countries to open borders to attract investments and gain a competitive advantage. However, many country level institutions do not always change as fast as the economic activity across borders, which can encourage corruption in order to bypass inefficient regulations and to successfully engage in entrepreneurship. The authors of the book examine this phenomenon. Featuring policy implications and case studies, this book will appeal to graduate students, academics, professionals, practitioners, and researchers in entrepreneurship, international business and public policy.

The recently-adopted OECD convention outlawing bribery of foreign public officials is welcome evidence of how much progress has been made in the battle against corruption. The financial crisis in East Asia is an indication of how much remains to be done. Corruption is by no means a new issue but it has only recently emerged as a global issue. With the end of the Cold War, the pace and breadth of the trends toward democratization and international economic integration accelerated and expanded globally. Yet corruption could slow or even reverse these trends, potentially threatening economic development and political stability in some countries. As the global implications of corruption have grown, so has the impetus for international action to combat it. In addition to efforts in the OECD, the Organization of American States, the World Trade Organization, and the United Nations General Assembly, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have both begun to emphasize corruption as an impediment to economic development. This book includes a chapter by the Chairman of the OECD Working Group on Bribery discussing the evolution of the OECD convention and what is needed to make it effective. Other chapters address the causes and consequences of corruption, including the impact on investment and growth and the role of multinational corporations in discouraging bribery. The final chapter summarizes and also discusses some of the other anticorruption initiatives that either have been or should be adopted by governments, multilateral development banks, and other international organizations.

Part one describes the present state of the global economy and the government life-support keeping it afloat. Part two details the long series of U.S. policy mistakes responsible for this disaster. Part 3 outlines the actions required to restructure the U.S. economy and restore global economic growth.

This book examines the concept of corruption, its ethical interface, and its measurement. It looks at economies of about 150 countries in different income groups and using cross-country regression analysis estimates how corruption impacts their economic growth. In the light of experience of some major global economies, it suggests a strategy for meeting the challenge of political and petty corruption. It identifies the drag effect of low incomes on the ability of countries to lower corruption and focuses on the centrality of growth for reducing corruption. The study brings out the criticality of systemic reforms, especially of institutions, participation of community, and education. It strongly emphasizes the need for laws covering corruption in both the government and private companies and a fair and independent investigating agency with quick trials of corrupt public servants. The book gives a brief history of corruption in India, efforts made in recent years, and the much-hyped Lokpal act with changes required in the current law to address corruption.

Seminar paper from the year 2010 in the subject Business economics - Miscellaneous, grade: 1,0, Berlin School of Economics (Global Governance), language: English, abstract: During the last decades, corruption became an important topic. About twenty years ago the issue started to gain increasing attention. Different Organization engage in the fight against corruption. This is a remarkable change compared to the situation before the 1990s. Back then, most people did not see it as a pressing problem. Actually, it was more seen as an integral part of doing business. Most European countries allowed for tax deductibility of bribes. Even the World Bank, not constricted by such national concerns, was avoiding the topic. The changed perception of corruption has manifold reasons. Foremost, the geopolitical situation changed remarkably. During the cold war, governments, despite their corruptness, were supported to make sure they were not joining the communist bloc. After the end of this ideological competition, the imperative to tolerate and not to address issues like corruption and abuse of political power ceased to exist. Last, but not less important, the USA, not constraint by geopolitical considerations, had economic interest to put the topic on the agenda. While for US-companies bribing abroad was forbidden, most other developed countries used graft to initiate business abroad. Therefore, the US had a special interest to push for anti-corruption laws to level the playing field for its companies. From a western normative and moral point of view this fight against corruption on the international level seems to be a desirable development. However, if those were the only reasons for this crusade, it could be misperceived as another example of the imposition of rules from the Global North on the Global South. Then again, if corruption has negative impacts, other than moral concerns, it would legitimize this movement. Prevailing corruption might influence the development and e