Skip to main content

CORRUPTION in Business and Government

When a CEO or President is found to be corrupt, you can be assured this person is not alone. A corrupt president can scarcely work alone. Too many people are aware of his/her activities.  Count on up to the next three levels down is also mostly corrupt. Thus the vice presidents, assistant vice presidents, and many down into the manager ranks are likely corrupt.  You might say corruption grows roots.

Why?  Because the corrupt hire the corrupt. Reasons? Comfort factor, operations factor, alliance factor, and cover factor, are just four.

Why not further down? Because the corrupt need secrecy, and thus the circle of corruption must remain small, as in manageable to control leaks.

How to detect who is corrupt? Look at the group of leaders gaining a total of 90% of the bonus money. This will comprise the inner circle if corruption is present.

Examples in business. Wirecard Scandal (2020), WorldCom Scandal (2002), Volkswagen Emissions Scandal (2015), Enron Scandal (2001), The Theranos Scandal (2015-2018), The FIFA Corruption Scandal (2015), The Lehman Brothers Collapse (2008)

Examples in government. The Jack Abramoff Lobbying Scandal (2000s), The HUD Scandal (1980s), Chicago City Council Corruption (1970s-2000s), Abscam Scandal (1978-1980), Teapot Dome Scandal (1920s)

Exceptions. There we see a singleton corruption enterprise, usually a bookkeeper or the like who is clever. Often, we see cases of a mayor (or governor) awarding contracts to private vendors without bids or other considerations. Unions also fall prey to corruption, with local union officials grafting off of generous union dues.

One takeaway. If you suspect someone way above your level is corrupt and want to report it, consider your immediate boss is in on the game. 

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Please Comment.

Popular posts from this blog

Behavioral Science and Problem-Solving

I.                                       I.                 Introduction.                Concerning our general behavior, it’s high about time we all had some understanding of how we operate on ourselves, and it is just as important how we are operated on by others. This is the wheelhouse of behavioral sciences. It is a vast subject. It touches our lives constantly. It’s influence is pervasive and can be so subtle we never notice it. Behavioral sciences profoundly affect our ability and success at problem-solving, from the elementary level to highly complex wicked problems. This is discussed in Section IV. We begin with the basics of behavioral sciences, Section II, and then through the lens of multiple categories and examples, Section III. II.     ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Principles of Insufficiency and Sufficiency

   The principles we use but don't know it.  1.      Introduction . Every field, scientific or otherwise, rests on foundational principles—think buoyancy, behavior, or democracy. Here, we explore a unique subset: principles modified by "insufficiency" and "sufficiency." While you may never have heard of them, you use them often. These terms frame principles that blend theory, practicality, and aspiration, by offering distinct perspectives. Insufficiency often implies inaction unless justified, while sufficiency suggests something exists or must be done. We’ll examine key examples and introduce a new principle with potential significance. As a principle of principles of these is that something or some action is not done enough while others may be done too much. The first six (§2-6) of our principles are in the literature, and you can easily search them online. The others are relatively new, but fit the concepts in the real world. At times, these pri...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Lemming Instinct

  In certain vital domains, a pervasive mediocrity among practitioners can stifle genuine advancement. When the intellectual output of a field is predominantly average, it inevitably produces research of corresponding quality. Nevertheless, some of these ideas, by sheer chance or perhaps through effective dissemination, will inevitably gain traction. A significant number of scholars and researchers will gravitate towards these trends, contributing to and propagating further work along these established lines. Such a trajectory allows an initially flawed concept to ascend to the status of mainstream orthodoxy. However, over an extended period, these prevailing ideas invariably fail to withstand rigorous scrutiny; they are ultimately and conclusively disproven. The disheartening pattern then reveals itself: rather than genuine progress, an equally unvalidated or incorrect idea often supplants the discredited one, swiftly establishing its own dominance. This cycle perpetuates, ensurin...
Post a Comment
Read more