Perceptions of bribery and business ethics across Afghanistan: a reflection on reality and crises management

Abstract

An ethical climate is crucial for the creation of peace, prosperity and a strong government with a competitive business environment. This paper discusses bribery, perceptions of corruption and presents the results of a business ethics survey with 313 local and expatriate Afghans. This is a primary study in assessing and determining the tolerance levels of Afghans in bribery dilemmas and ethical challenges in business. The findings suggest that education, management experience, culture and industry background are statistically significant factors in the ethical maturity levels. In a cross-cultural comparison of the data with 161 Americans and 518 Iranians, it appears that cultural background is a significant factor since respondents from Iran demonstrated less tolerance for unethical business decisions in this research. These findings are important for managers, expatriates, government officials and ethics educators who are creating, expecting, promoting and/or trying to sustain a socially responsible business climate in Afghanistan.