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Recession adds urgency to anti-corruption initiativeRecession adds urgency to anti-corruption initiative

Companies sailing into choppy waters during the economic crisis could be tempted to relax their ethical standards, business leader Alan Boeckmann said Feb. 26 at Thunderbird School of Global Management during a discussion on the World Economic Forum Partnering Against Corruption Initiative that he helped launch in 2004.

“Corruption thrives when you have poverty and the ability to wield power for personal gain,” said Boeckmann, chairman and CEO of Fluor Corp., a global engineering and construction company based in Irving, Texas. “There are a lot of companies now that are being tested, that are sailing into choppy waters with cash flow problems. They could be tempted to do things that they otherwise might not do.”

Boeckmann said the construction industry offers significant opportunities for corruption, and he grew tired of competing against companies that don’t play fair.

“If you’re in a locale where it’s not only allowed and condoned, but in fact encouraged by local governments and so forth, you are disadvantaged,” he said. “The light went on when I saw a survey by Transparency International that declared construction as the second worst industry for corruption.”

Boeckmann decided to take action. He banded together at the World Economic Forum with a group of competitors and helped develop the Partnering Against Corruption Initiative, which challenges companies to abide by a set of guiding principles designed to stamp out corruption and bribery.

Read the full story, watch a video and download a podcast on the Thunderbird Knowledge Network.