Trends in international bribe‐giving: do anti‐bribery laws matter?

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to examine whether the vigorous enforcement of anti‐bribery laws has had an impact on the propensity of firms to engage in bribe‐giving in international business.

Design/methodology/approach

A set of statistical analyses was performed on data – Bribe Payers Index, a measure of bribe‐giving – from four years spanning a nine‐year period to ascertain trends in bribe‐giving.

Findings

The results indicate that the perceived level of bribe‐giving by firms from the major exporting countries has been declining. This decline has occurred at a time when the enforcement of national anti‐bribery laws has been stepped up greatly and international treaties against bribe‐giving have been adopted and increasingly enforced.

Research limitations/implications

A robust legal approach to curb bribe‐giving appears to have a general deterrent effect on the propensity of firms based in the countries studied to engage in bribe‐giving. Data availability is limited to about 20 countries.

Practical implications

International cooperation among law enforcement agencies anchored in national laws and international treaties provide an effective basis to successfully prosecute bribe‐giving in international business.

Originality/value

This study strongly suggests that enforcement of national laws against bribe‐giving, coupled with cooperation among national governments, can play a significant role in reducing the perceived level of bribe‐giving in international business.

Citation

Sanyal, R. and Samanta, S. (2011), "Trends in international bribe‐giving: do anti‐bribery laws matter?", Journal of International Trade Law and Policy, Vol. 10 No. 2, pp. 151-164. https://doi.org/10.1108/14770021111140325