Deloitte Bribery and Corruption Survey 2015 Australia and New Zealand

Introduction

Bribery and corruption is much more than a one dimensional compliance issue. The damage an incident can cause to an organisation – via traditional and social media channels, to reputation, and even bottom line – is generally understood, although not always well managed.

But there is also a much more insidious issue to consider – bribery and corruption is a truly malevolent force that can deeply affect countries, communities and individuals where it has been allowed to take hold.

This, if nothing else, should be a key driver for any responsible organisation wanting to create a commercial world in which doing the right thing and considering the greater good are central to the way they do business.

We have been investigating corruption and fraud for nearly 25 years, and have worked with many organisations across the industry spectrum to help them enhance the controls and processes needed to manage the risk of someone doing the wrong thing and, where needed, dealing with the repercussions. While we have seen many organisations take a robust approach to mitigating this risk, we have unfortunately not seen any tangible decrease in levels of corruption, or any major shifts in attitudes towards it, especially in jurisdictions where corruption has taken hold.

Many organisations we work with report similar accounts of the challenges they face in terms of managing corruption risk and turning compliance requirements into workable operational reality. We are often asked: ‘So how much is enough, and how do I approach it?’

The key is to separate the wheat from the chaff. Every organisation needs to understand where it will get most return on its investment and minimise waste on issues of low priority. And the first step in achieving this is to understand and assess the risks.