Bribery is very hard to stamp out. In a global fraud survey by Ernst & Young, a professional-services firm, 39% of businesses say corruption is common in countries where they operate. Corporate standards are more liable to slip when times are tough: 15% of surveyed firms think cash payments to win business can be justified if they help companies to survive an economic downturn, compared with 9% last year. One in 20 think the same of misstating their financial performance.
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