ABSTRACT
Corruption is always possible in a situation where a person holds an office that involves the disposal of resources and the opportunity to abuse them for private ends. Nye (1967: 966) defines corruption as a behaviour deviating from formal duties of a public role in order to gain financial benefits or status improvements. The advantages of a corruptly behaving public official could be material, symbolic or emotional (Lüdtke and Schweitzer 1993). The following examples illustrate the notion of corruption:
Example 1: A policeman stops a tourist car on a south Italian highway because the driver exceeded the speed limit. The driver offers a 20 Euro note before the policeman is able to ask for his driving licence. The policeman takes the money, thanks the driver and permits the driver to go on.
