Curbing International Bribery

In 1997, two documents were adopted in different parts of the world, both of which will impact efforts to curtail corruption. The first was a Convention Combating International Bribery forbidding multinational firms based in member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) from bribing foreign officials. The second was a new constitution for Thailand that established an independent agency to investigate and punish illicit payments to politicians or civil servants. Forty academics, executives, and officials in Thailand were confidentially interviewed regarding the anticipated effects of these initiatives. They explained why multinational firms have made under-the-table payments in Thailand and why these payoffs have been difficult to curb. They predicted the effects of the Convention on multinational operations in Thailand, and described strategies – best practices – that have helped firms to successfully operate in corrupt environments. This study will be of interest not only to business executives, but also to academics and policymakers as they search for measures to more effectively combat these practices.