One of the reasons for the proliferation of bribery in India is
the complex structures—comprising legal, tax, and other
frameworks—one has to follow to conduct business. Small and
medium businesses (SMBs) often find themselves lacking the
capability and the resources to understand some of these
frameworks, particularly those pertaining to anti-bribery and
corruption. To cope, SMBs tend to 'work around' these
requirements, adopting practices that may be perceived as
corrupt.
Corruption, however, is not a new phenomenon, and neither is it
a developing world problem, as recent unearthing of global fraud
and bribery scandals may indicate. Yet some countries are perceived
as less corrupt than others. It is hard to determine what these
perceptions can be attributed to: major legislative changes,
greater rate of prosecutions, higher fines, political shifts,
public awareness schemes, or other initiatives.
