ABSTRACT
The construction industry has made influence-peddling a common practice in order to compete for projects, and this often places architects in difficult positions when faced with what could be seen as bribes. Ethics can help us distinguish between a gift and a bribe, having to do with the context and intent of the action: gift-giving does not expect anything in return, while bribery does. Whole economies have revolved around gift-giving and that should remain the only area in which architects should tread. Although the construction industry has struggled with a culture of bribery, architects must avoid it at all costs.
