Corruption Across Countries

Abstract

phenomenon, evidence indicates that incidences of corruption vary across countries. A range of measures is being adopted by governments, busi nesses, and advocacy groups to eliminate or reduce corrupt conduct. This study was conducted against this background to ascertain what societal and economic factors are related to corrupt practices in a country as they affect international business transactions and what explains the variation in cor ruption across countries. An understanding of these relevant factors can assist policy makers and businesspersons in their efforts to combat corruption. A general definition of corruption is: the misuse of public power for private benefits. Such misuse takes place in the form of bribing public officials, kickbacks in public procurements, and embezzling public money, among others. In this paper, we consider corruption?both petty and