The Culture of Gift and Bribe in Business Research Paper - 1

The Culture of Gift and Bribe in Business - Research Paper Example There has been increasing calls for managers to ensure that they keep to the code of ethics in their work. As the leader of the organizations, managers are given special duty of looking at the needs of the organization in the sense that they have to take care of all the activities of the organization. Therefore they are expected to lead by example and show others where they are supposed to take the organization. The duties of a manager have been increasing in the recent past to include the factor of ensuring that there is fairness in business practice. One of the most recent ethical controversies that have engulfed the business world has been the issue of culture giving of gift and bribes. It has been shown that the culture of giving bribes and gifts has become one of the most commonly practiced business practice. The debate on whether gifts and bribes in business are justified or not is been centered on several issues. This has been dictated by the cultural practices of different communities in the world. Let us look closely at the concept of giving of bribes and gifts in business. (Iniobong 2007, p. 4) In the operation of the business, a manager is likely to come into contact with many people. These people are of diverse cultural practice and have different values that are attached to the cultural practices. This has become a dilemma in the modern market which has been dictated by the increasing rate of globalization which has been marked by the increased movement of people and increased interaction as well. The culture of gifts and bribes is taken differently according to a different society. For example, the culture of giving gifts is very common in China and from time to time people will give different gifts in different occasion. This is also extended to the business world and is not limited to the social life of the people. Reeling from a socialist economy, Chinese have not been fully embraced by the capitalist world and there is still a sense of community or togetherness that usually characterizes these regimes. On the other hand the culture of giving gifts in America is very rare. In the western world gift are only given in special occasion. Therefore they are limited to the social life of the people and in the business world they are only limited to the end year party and usually meant to raise the morale of the employees. Therefore when the Chinese businesses come to America, they come with their gift-giving culture. On the other hand when the American business goes to China they take with them limited gift-giving culture. This has been a source of conflict for a long time now for businesses operating under the above mentioned condition. (Scott 2005, p.2) But in the business world it is the intention of giving that gift that matter. Though you may give someone a gift with good intention they may receive the gift with another intention rather than that one that you meant. Therefore there has been a notion that these gifts are meant to bribe the one receiving them in order to grant some favor. In the business context, this has become a major issue that has brought about a ranging debate. It has been seen that there has been increased gift giving especially between the public official who is in power and the business manager who seek to have favor in the business process.