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Organizational Corruption

“Corrupt organizations do not like honest or ethical people, and will eventually run them off.”

Ronald D. Sears

According to Merriam-Webster: Definition of Corruption

A dishonest or illegal behavior especially by powerful people (such as government officials or police officers), inducement to wrong by improper or unlawful means (such as bribery) the corruption of government officials, a departure from the original or from what is pure or correct the corruption of a text

Cultural Traits of Organizational Corruption By Alison Taylor

Each one of these characteristics heightens the vulnerability of a team, office or division to corruption:

• Strategy: Growth is the primary goal, and all others are irrelevant; competition is high; and the ends justify the means.

• Leadership: Leadership is complacent; it hoards information, diffuses accountability and focuses on plausible deniability. Ironically, leaders who preside over corrupt practices are likely to project successfully a self-image of being a high-performing, high-status individual.

• Structure: Local devolution and autonomy combines with limited oversight. The group is isolated by circumstance, by design or both.

• Decision making and authority: Strongly hierarchical and directive; top down; little consultation; and short time horizons.

• Incentives: Discretionary bonuses and targets are unrealistic, set without regard to market conditions or employee behavior.

• Values and Beliefs: The workplace will hold a pervasive culture of fear, necessity, insecurity, powerlessness and intense rivalry. The language is of war and sport. Further distancing techniques may exist.

• Norms and Behaviors: Low transparency, secrecy, defensiveness and a lack of pride in the organization.

Power Corruption by Umar Farooq

When an individual possesses a high degree of power and is not held responsible for the harmful consequences. There are severe disadvantages of power corruption in the organization like:

• The decision making in the organization becomes poor.

• The coercive behavior is promoted in the organization.

• The employees of the organization have a low opinion about the processes & the working environment of the organization.

• The distance between management & employees is enhanced that badly affects the performance of the organization.

• The managers are free to promote illegal or unethical actions in the organization.

The proverbial saying 'power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely' conveys the opinion that, as a person's power increases, their moral sense diminishes.

According to Changing Minds by David Straker

The behavior of a powerful person often leads much to be desired. Some of the unsocial things they may do include:

• Being disinterested in the welfare of others.

• Stereotyping others, including showing bias.

• Not making eye contact when in conversation.

• Acting as if they are entitled to get what they want.

• Expecting others to comply with their requirements without question.

• Acting in untrustworthy ways, but expecting to be trusted.

• Having different rules and values for themselves vs. other people.

• Being more prone to anger than others.

• Acting outside company policy or creating it for their own purpose.

Shakespeare’s depiction of human nature through all his plays reveals the corruption that infects human beings. Corruption appears in many forms in Shakespeare. At its most obvious level, corruption is linked to power and we see countless examples of corruption in the most powerful characters in the plays. Shakespeare often explores the ways in which kings and other powerful figures abuse their position, as well as the ways in which ambitious men plot to gain power, usually the throne, by illegitimate means.

Additional Reading

Good Business: An Ethics Workshop for Business Leaders Paperback by John Endris

Cheating, Corruption, and Concealment: The Roots of Dishonesty by Jan-Willem van Prooijen, Paul A. M. van Lange

Point of Reflection

“Corruption is simply crime without conscience.”

George Richard Marek

“Corruption is like a ball of snow, once it's set a rolling it must increase.”

Charles Caleb Colt