ABSTRACT
The term “corruption” itself is a linguistic derivative of the Latin word “corrumpere,” which translates to “break,” “mar,” or “seduce.”* The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines corruption as “impairment of integrity, virtue, or moral principle…inducement to wrong by improper or unlawful means (as bribery).”†
Earlier in this book, we looked at procurement contracts-an area of business that is among those at highest risk for corruption-and ways in which procurement processes can be corrupted. In the context of business decisions within organizations, corruption often arises from decisionmaking processes in which agent decision makers do not align their decisions with the interests of their principals.
