Abstract
This article considers what policy reforms may help catalyze corporate commitment to combating corruption. The starting point for this discussion is a voluntary, corporate principles approach to self-regulation. Such an approach should seek to encourage corporations to implement effective compliance and ethics programs and to disclose information related to their anti-corruption activities to relevant stakeholders. Although a corporate principles approach is a private initiative, there is a significant role for the public sector. This article discusses some of the ways that the public sector can support and further the goals of a corporate principles approach to combating corruption. The reforms discussed in this article include amnesty programs for corporations that self-disclose corrupt payments, the use of corporate monitors in the enforcement of anti-corruption laws, expanding the definition of corruption in criminal laws, sustainability reporting indicators related to bribery, and the implementation of multi-stakeholder initiatives to support a corporate principles approach.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Argandona, A.: 2003, ‘Private-to-Private Corruption’, Journal of Business Ethics; 47 (3), pp. 253–267.
Berenbeim, R. E. and S. Muirhead: 2002, Business Conduct Codes: Why Corporations Hesitate (Conference Board, New York).
Bray J 2006 ‘Agents, Consultants and Joint-Venture Partners in International Business Transactions’. In: B. Errath (Ed.), Business Against Corruption: Case Stories and Examples. United Nations Global Compact Office: New York.
Brew, P. and J. Moberg: 2006 ‘The Power of Joining Forces – The Case for Collective Action in Fighting Corruption’. In: B. Errath (Ed.), Business Against Corruption: Case Stories and Examples. United Nations Global Compact Office, New York.
Control Risks Group Limited: 2006, ‘International Business Attitudes to Corruption – Survey 2006’, www.crg.com/PDF/corruption_survey_2006_V3.pdf.
Dorf, M. C., and C. F. Sabel: 1998, ‘A Constitution of Democratic Experimentalism’, Columbia Law Review 98 (2): 267-473.
Dunfee, T. W.: 1996, ‘On the Synergistic, Interdependent Relationship of Business Ethics and Law,’ American Business Law Journal, 34 (2), 317-328.
Dunfee, T.W. and D. Hess: 2001, ‘Getting From Salbu to the ‘Tipping Point’: The Role of Corporate Action within a Portfolio of Anti-Corruption Strategies’, Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business, 21 (2), 471-490.
Eigen, P.: 2007, ‘Fighting Corruption in a Global Economy: Transparency Initiatives in the Oil and Gas Industry’, Houston Journal of International Law, 29 (2): 328-354.
Ford, C. and D. Hess: 2009, ‘Can Corporate Monitorships Improve Corporate Compliance?’ Journal of Corporation Law 34(3), 679–737.
Freedman, M.: 2006, ‘Trust Us’, Forbes, Dec. 25, 2006, 132–133.
Global Reporting Initiative, 2006: ‘Sustainability Report- ing Guidelines’, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, http://www.globalreporting.org/ReportingFramework/G3Guidelines.
Gordon, K. and M. Miyake: 2001, ‘Business Approaches to Combating Bribery: A Study of Codes of Conduct’, Journal of Business Ethics, 34 (3): 161-173.
Heimann, F. and G. Dell: 2007, ‘Transparency Int’l, Progress Report 07: Enforcement of the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials’, Transparency International, Berlin, Germany, http://www.transparency.org/news_room/in_focus/2007/oecd.
Heine, G: 2003, ‘Comparative Analysis’. In: G. Heine, B. Huber, and T. Rose (Eds.), Private Commercial Bribery: A Comparison of National and Supranational Legal Structures. International Chamber of Commerce, Paris.
Heine, G., B. Huber, and T. Rose, (eds.): 2003, Private Commercial Bribery: A Comparison of National and Supranational Legal Structures (International Chamber of Commerce, Paris).
Hess, D.: 2008, ‘The Three Pillars of Corporate Social Reporting as New Governance Regulation: Disclosure, Dialogue, and Development’, Business Ethics Quarterly 18(4): 447-482.
Hess, D. and T. W. Dunfee: 2000, ‘Fighting Corruption: A Principled Approach’, Cornell International Law Journal, 33 (3), 593-626.
Hess, D. and T. W. Dunfee: 2003, ‘Taking Responsibility for Bribery: The Multinational Corporation’s Role in Combating Corruption’, in R. Sullivan (ed.), Business and Human Rights: Dilemmas and Solutions (Greanleaf Publishing, Sheffield, UK), pp. 260–271.
Hess, D. and C. Ford: 2008, ‘Corporate Corruption and Reform Undertakings: A New Approach to an Old Problem,’ Cornell International Law Journal, 41 (2): 307-346.
International Chamber of Commerce: 2006, ‘Memorandum to the OECD Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions’, International Chamber of Commerce, Paris, France, http://www.iccwbo.org/uploadedFiles/ICC/policy/anticorruption/pages/Memorandum%20to%20OECD%20working%20group.pdf.
Karkkainen, B. C.: 2004, ‘Post-Sovereign Environmental Governance’, Global Environmental Politics, 4 (1), pp. 72-96.
KPMG: 2008, ‘2008 Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption Survey’, http://us.kpmg.com/RutUS_prod/Documents/8/2008_FCPA_AntiBriberySurvey.pdf.
Laufer, W. S.: 1999, ‘Corporate Liability, Risk Shifting, and the Paradox of Compliance’, Vanderbilt Law Review, 54 (5): 1343-1420.
Lobel, O.: 2004, ‘The Renew Deal: The Fall of Regulation and the Rise of Governance in Contemporary Legal Thought’, Minnesota Law Review, 89 (2), pp. 342-470.
Masters, B.: 2007, ‘US Steps Up Overseas Bribery Crackdown’, Financial Times 30: 5.
Price, M 2006 ‘Case Story: Integrity Due Diligence’. In: B. Errath (Ed.), Business Against Corruption: Case Stories and Examples. United Nations Global Compact Office: New York.
PricewaterhouseCoopers: 2008, ‘Confronting Corruption: The Business Case for an Effective Anti-Corruption Programme’, PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited, http://www.pwc.com/extweb/pwcpublications.nsf/docid/1F2DCA23DC8E7E1F852573CB00578048/$FILE/PwC-Confronting-Corruption.pdf.
Reisinger, S.: 2007, ‘On Bended Knee’, Corporate Counsel, July 2007, 72–77.
Roner, L.: 2008, ‘Voluntary Disclosure’s Banana Skin’, Ethical Corporation, July/August 2008, 11.
Rose, T. O 2003 ‘Introduction’. In: G. Heine, B. Huber, and T. Rose (Eds.), Private Commercial Bribery: A Comparison of National and Supranational Legal Structures. International Chamber of Commerce, Paris.
Segal, P.: 2006, ‘Coming Clean on Dirty Dealing: Time for a Fact-Based Evaluation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act’, Florida International Law Journal, 18 (1): 169-210.
Webb, P.: 2005, ‘The United Nations Convention Against Corruption’, Journal of International Economic Law, 8 (1), pp. 191-229.
Weick, K. E.: 1984, ‘Small Wins: Redefining the Scale of Social Problems’, American Psychologist, 39 (1), pp. 40-49.
Wilkinson P 2006 ‘Reporting on Countering Corruption’. In: B. Errath (Ed.), Business Against Corruption: Case Stories and Examples. United Nations Global Compact Office, New York.
Wood, S.: 2002–2003, ‘Environmental Management Systems and Public Authority in Canada: Rethinking Environmental Governance’, Buffalo Environmental Law Journal 10(1), 129–210.
Wrage, A. and K. Mandernach: 2006 ‘Facilitation Payments’. In: B. Errath (Ed.), Business Against Corruption: Case Stories and Examples. United Nations Global Compact Office, New York.
Zervos, A.: 2006, ‘Amending the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act: Repealing the Exemption for “Routine Government Action” Payments’, Penn State International Law Review, 25 (1), pp. 251-294.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hess, D. Catalyzing Corporate Commitment to Combating Corruption. J Bus Ethics 88 (Suppl 4), 781–790 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-009-0322-7
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-009-0322-7