Corruption, corporate and personal integrity continues to increasingly be an important factor in the global economy. Many national and multinational companies as well as organizations are facing serious cultural problems especially in relation to integrity and corruption issues. It’s evident from the most corrupt countries that lack of integrity is harmful to a country’s economy, society, politics, and the overall environment. There is lack of proper and accountable leadership in a country wanting in integrity hence opening door for more corruption to take place. Corruption also intensely affect the country’s economy since the corrupt personnel facilitates immense depletion upon the national wealth. Nevertheless the most damage that is done to a country is when corruption affects the society: Character of corruption infiltrates upon the citizens of a country. Corruption in a country is unethical behavior which tends to diminish the trust that citizens and foreigners have towards the government, leadership and the politics of the nation in question. This kind of situation creates loopholes for exercising unethical behaviors and corruption within the country as well as with the outside world. The overall environment of a country suffers the repercussion of the dubious deals (Shively, 2009)
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The most and the least corrupt countries in the world in the 2009 listing which was based on Corruption Perception Index at transparency international include: Five most corrupt countries: 1. New Zealand, 2. Denmark, 3. Singapore, 4. Sweden, 5. Switzerland and the five most corrupt countries: 1. Somalia, 2. Afghanistan, 3. Myanmar, 4. Sudan, 4. Iraq (Rosenberg, 2009).
The Corruption Perception Index (CPI) does the work of measuring the levels of corruption in the public sectors in about 180 countries of the world and the territories around the world that includes the United States of America. In 2009 the CPI has showed that Somalia has been labeled the most corrupt nation in the world followed by Afghanistan and Myanmar. CPI also identified New Zealand as the least corrupt country followed by Denmark while Singapore took the third position (Shively, 2009).
To find the trends of corruption has been perceived to be quite a challenging level of measurement for to this extent there is no an overall consensus as to what corruption is. Corruption has not been truly defined. For the CPI to arrive at conclusions that given countries are the most corrupt or less corrupt, they use ethics and integrity as the measures of level of corruption. The most ethical countries are rated as the least corrupt while the least ethical countries are rated to be the most corrupt countries. The most ethical is positioned as number one while the least ethical country is listed on the last potions; number 180 (Shively, 2009).
Corruption in Myanmar
Among the most corrupt countries in the world is Myanmar: after more than 40 years of political violence, military rule and even systematic repression of democratic opposition, Myanmar continues to face great challenges of endemic corruption. It has consistently been ranked at the bottom of CPI. There is little that is known on the specific patterns of corruption in this country. Nevertheless the scale of illicit economy has shown strong links between the leadership and organized crime activities such as drug and human trafficking or illegal logging. There is a wanting situation in relation to effective check and balance system and democratic institutions. The legal framework against corruption is very weak and rudimentary creating loopholes for the influential people to misuse it in order to gain political mileage (Chene, 2003).
Corruption in Somalia
In the preview of Global integrity report that was released on February 2008; Abdurrahman Warsameh report on Somalia, the citizens of Somalia sees the government as just as mare boarder controller. It’s only at this points that one can have a personal contact with government officials since they are confined in sea ports, airports, and other check points. The only people in the country who seems to frequently attract the government are the journalists who are followed up in order to cover the corrupt the grand corruption activities. The Somalis have come to an acceptance that corruption is inevitable in everyday activities, especially where one is dealing with the government offices. For about 20 years government institutions to provide services to the citizens have been malfunction. In the research that Warsameh took, the citizens said they only encounter the government officials when they are closing the boarder or committing crime since the officials appears not to arrest them but to take their bribes. In Somalia one can do anything and get away with it as long you know somebody in the government or you have the needed money to give to the forces in question. Cattle theft, illegal burning of charcoal, drug trafficking, murder, selling of illegal arms are among the many day to day crimes that Somalia people goes through. Even to establish a business one has to corrupt their way to getting a license. In the government controlled areas the government tax collectors are seen as they do their job but mostly ends up collecting very little revenues for business men just bribe their way to avoid paying the revenue. Those who import or exports goods are required to pay the normal tax and after that pay the officials at the ports facilitation fee otherwise they would be at risk of losing goods. On the roads corruption is inevitable no matter whether the vehicles are in good condition or not. The drivers can not even dare to challenge the soldiers or else be shot dead. The bus drivers are required to pay about 15, 000 Somali shillings every day that can not be accounted for (Warsameh, 2009).
New Zealand has over the years managed to be ranked among the least corrupt countries over the years: zero corruption in government offices. In New Zealand as opposed to Somalia and Myanmar where one has to bribe for everything that you have a right to acquire, you can never bribe any officer for a service. In corrupt countries those who are involved in corruption deals are not prosecuted for the actions unlike in New Zealand where if one is caught in the corrupt deals, he is vigorously prosecuted. Fraudulent business men are dealt with by the law without any partiality no matter how influential they are in the economic development. The judges are selected independently based on their legal abilities to ensure that justice prevails in the courts. Offenders are openly dealt with by the fair and transparent laws. Many companies have laid very clear measures on how to overcome corruption (Poneke, 2009).
Unlike in many countries where to curb corruption there are established agencies that deal with corruption, in New Zealand there is no single established agency that is tasked with the responsibility of fighting corruption. There has not been a need to establish such commissions. Instead the country endeavors in reinforcing values that ensures that the country remains corruption free (Brandshaw, 2009).
In Singapore that appeared as the third most free of corruption country, has a public administrative system that has total reliance on institutional and attitudinal aspects in enhancing effectiveness in the public organizations. The organizations that are found to be defective are either reorganized or totally removed from the picture and replaced with others. The new personnel are reoriented to ensure that the old system is fully uprooted. Unlike in many countries where a corrupt official is just fired or transferred to a different department, in Singapore a corrupt officer is fired, prosecuted and forced to pay for all the ills that he has engaged in. No single person is just let go after a gross misconduct. The Singapore government endeavors in instilling morals upon its citizens that in fighting corruption. Children are taught such values as integrity while in school and they grow understanding that there is no provision of dubious deals in all circles of life. When such a character is instilled in a person right from childhood, even when he grows up he endeavors to put that into practice (Quah, 1991).
A culture of a people plays a great role in the way the people live. The culture takes a supra-identity since it makes the framework of an individual or group. National culture can make a people of a given nation to have a cultural identity. Culture as opposed to nature is constructed by man. Culture is passed from one person to another through a process of socialization. It plays a great role in relation to countries business ethics. Business ethics are behaviors that businesses adhere to in the daily dealing with the world. Good business ethics is what gives a company reputability. A country that has developed a culture of corruption and lack of integrity ends up having bad business ethics or good business ethics that are not respected by the personnel involved. This becomes a great challenge to multi national companies that are established in countries where there are good business ethics as well as business ethics (Crystal, 2003).
The least ethical countries are affected by many ethical issues among them being craving for power. In countries like Somalia and Myanmar the various has turned the nations to war fields in crave for power. This has led to the government refusing to offer democracy and free and fare election. Crave for money has led to many official becoming corrupt. The moral ethics are not taught people grow disrespecting the set values. There is immense irresponsibility that makes those entrusted in following up with important responsibilities neglect their duties. This creates loopholes for corruption and gross misconduct. Human rights are suppressed. The law Is very soft on law breakers, people can easily go without being punished if they engage in corrupt deals (Josephson & Hanson, 2004).
A country can easily be able to overcome unethical behaviors by first identifying existing unethical behavior. The government and business organizations should thereafter try to dig out the reasons behind the corruption; endeavor to uproot the roots of the problem. The greatest challenge to corruption has to with the morals of the people. The countries that have been successful in overcoming corruption and unethical issues have endeavored to tech the members of the society the good moral values. It becomes easier to prevent a problem rather that waiting until the problems grow to remove it. If all the people are trained to be morally upright right from childhood, such character would be inculcated in them such that later in life, they will find it hard to accept corrupt behaviors. Those who are involved in corrupt deals should be seriously dealt with. The systems of justice should be very strict not only firing the corrupt officials but also making them to pay their dues. Unethical behaviors should be exposed to the public and the people involved prosecuted publicly as a warning to others with such behaviors or intentions of such behaviors (Josephson & Hanson, 2004).
