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Foreign corruption at Swiss companies
Project at a glance

Project at a glance

Corruption continues to be widespread worldwide. Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index shows that it has not decreased globally over the last ten years and has even worsened in many countries. Also, important target countries for Swiss foreign trade have a high level of corruption. This means that Swiss companies operating abroad need to actively address the issue of corruption.

Against this background, the project analyses the following research questions:

  • How often are Swiss companies abroad confronted with corrupt behaviour, and what proportion of their turnover do they spend on average on informal payments and gifts under the table?
  • In which business activities are informal payments and gifts under the table typically expected, and which company-specific factors influence the susceptibility to corrupt behaviour?
  • What measures do Swiss companies operating abroad take to prevent corruption?
  • What do the survey results mean in terms of the benefits and particular challenges of corruption prevention for Swiss companies?

Study - Foreign corruption in Swiss companies

Realisation

Realisation

As part of the project, a quantitative survey was conducted with 539 Swiss companies of all sizes and from all sectors that are at an advanced stage of internationalisation. Companies are considered to be at an advanced stage of internationalisation if they generate at least part of their turnover outside of Central and Northern Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore or North America (USA/Canada). Modern methods of empirical social research were used to shed more light on the dark field. The survey was conducted in March and April 2023 in collaboration with the Link market research institute using an online questionnaire in all parts of Switzerland, with participants able to choose between the three languages German, French and Italian. The response rate was 34 per cent, with a confidence interval of ±4.2 at a confidence level of 95 per cent.

Results

Results

The results of the study show that 52 per cent of the Swiss companies surveyed are confronted with demands for informal payments in other countries. Of the companies concerned, 63 per cent make such payments. A further 8 per cent act corruptly indirectly via contracted (local) third parties.

The companies surveyed are already implementing various measures to prevent corruption. Although such measures have increased in recent years, acts of corruption at Swiss companies do not appear to have decreased over the last ten years. This may be due to the fact that the anti-corruption measures in place are still inadequate, that employees are not sufficiently sensitised to the issue or that companies have an excessive appetite for risk. This situation is likely to be further fuelled by the limited number of prosecutions.

Team

Team

Lecturer, Project leader
Prof. Dr. Christian Hauser
Phone: +41 81 286 39 24
Additional information

Additional information

In Media

Radio and TV

Online

Print

  • NZZ, 28.02.2024: Jede dritte Schweizer Firma zahlt im Ausland Schmiergled
  • Le Temps, 28.02.2024: «L’arsenal contre la corruption reste insuffisant»
  • Blick, 28.02.2024: Korruption: Laut neuer Studie hat jede dritte Schweizer Firma, die international tätig ist, schon Schmiergelder gezahlt
  • Südostschweiz 28.02.2024: Schweizer Konzerne zahlen vermehrt Schmiergelder
  • Höfner Volksblatt, 28.02.2024: Schweizer Konzerne zahlen vermehrt Schmiergelder
  • Linth Zeitung: Schweizer Konzerne zahlen vermehrt Schmiergelder
  • Tages-Anzeiger, 28.02.2024: Jede dritte Firma gibt Bestechung in Ausland zu 
  • Der Bund, 28.02.2024: Jede dritte Firma gibt Bestechung in Ausland zu 
  • Berner Oberländer/Thuner Tagblatt, 28.02.2024: Jede dritte Firma gibt Bestechung in Ausland zu 
  • Der Landbote, 28.02.2024: Jede dritte Firma gibt Bestechung in Ausland zu
  • Zürichsee-Zeitung, 28.02.2024: Jede dritte Firma gibt Bestechung in Ausland zu
  • Le Nouvelliste, 28.02.2024: Les dessous-de-table sont fréquents à l’international
  • 24 Heures, 28.02.2024: Corruption dans les affaires à l’étranger
  • Tribune de Genève, 28.02.2024: Corruption dans les affaires à l’étranger
  • Zuger Zeitung, 24.02.2024: Schmiergeld als Schmiermittel
  • Freiburger Nachrichten, 24.02.2024: Schmiergeld als Schmiermittel
  • Bündner Tagblatt, 24.02.2024: Korruption ist verbreitet

Research field

Corporate Responsibility

Entrepreneurial actions involve the assumption of responsibility and the endeavour to ensure sustainability. Corporate responsibility stands for a business philosophy that places transparency, ethical conduct and respect for stakeholders at the heart of a company’s actions.
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Internationalisation and Supply Chain

In the research field of Internationalisation and Supply Chain, the University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons deals with the internationalisation process of companies. We investigate which motives trigger internationalisation and which requirements companies have to meet in order to hold their own against international competitors.
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Parties involved

The project has been implemented by the Swiss Institute for Entrepeneurship (SIFE), in cooperation with PRME Business Integrity Action Center, Transparency International Switzerland and Link Marketing Services AG.

Swiss Institute for Entrepreneurship (SIFE)

The SIFE operates between research and practice. It conducts application-oriented research, teaching and provides services in the focus areas of digital strategies and AI for companies, Innovation, Internationalisation and Supply Chain. Its objective is to contribute to the successful foundation, transformation and growth of companies.
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PRME Business Integrity Action Center (BIAC)

The PRME Business Integrity Action Center at University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons supports both companies and public institutions in applied research and development projects on the topics of business integrity, corruption prevention and media integrity.
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