ABSTRACT
Corruption, it seems, is everywhere, afflicting for-profit, not-for-profit, governmental, and to the dismay of many, even religious organizations. Criminal conduct, however, does not in itself sustain the charge of corruption. For corruption, there must be something more than mere criminal conduct, something more than the effort to get rich at the end. For corruption there must be perversion of a higher end especially a public trust. Yet, corruption is not merely inefficiency caused by bad management or by incompetent performers. The notion of corruption in this context implies deliberate intent of individuals to maximize their personal gains illegally at the expense of the organization. Among the various motives for individuals' corruption, greed is probably the most prevalent. However, theft in the name of justice serves as an excuse for all kinds of corruption in organizations. "Political corruption occurs when an agent breaks the law in sacrificing the interest of a principal to his or her own benefit".
