Starnes-Brenner Machine Tool Company??“to Bribe or Not to Bribe Essay Example

points out that the firm in Latino, in addition to making a profit, is stimulating the economy of the country and that since bribery is a recognized means of doing business it is stimulating to the economy of Latino. He proposes that ethics will rise with an increase in the standard of living.

Bribery persists as a problem the world over. In China, many of the Republics of the former USSR, and elsewhere, the business person is confronted with the decision to bribe or not to bribe. The instructor may want to have the students review the section on Business Ethics in Chapter 5 before attempting this case. It may be useful to have them examine the case without using the decision tree for ethical and socially responsible decisions (Exhibit 5-4) and then to review the case using the decision tree. The advantage of using the decision tree is to help them focus their thinking on the consequences of their decisions.

One of the purposes of this case is to explore all the ramifications of bribery. A point raised in the case concerned bribery in the U.S. The attitude presented is that all others engage in wholesale bribery but that Americans are somehow above it all, except for isolated cases. Two articles that address issues of bribery both in the United States and elsewhere are recommended before discussion of this case. See “The Destructive Costs of Greasing Palms,” BusinessWeek, December 6, 1993, p.133–138 and Daniel B. Moskowitz, “Taking Aim at Bribes Overseas,” International Business, February 1994, p. 110.