Everyone who follows international news has heard stories of corruption.  Of countries where officials have raided their country’s treasury and enriched themselves.   But not everyone knows there’s an annual report that ranks 180 countries based on how corrupt they’re perceived to be.   Thanks to the work of Transparency International that list exists.   Transparency International

Transparency International (TI) defines itself “As a global movement with one vision, we want a world free of corruption. Through chapters in more than 100 countries and an international secretariat in Berlin, we are leading the fight against corruption to turn this vision into reality.” TI explains corruption as “the abuse of entrusted power for private gain.” Corruption can be classified as grand, petty and political, depending on the amounts of money lost and the sector where it occurs.”  

Their latest report (https://www.transparency.org/cpi2018) report, the 2018 Corruption Perception Index was developed based on multiple surveys of business people and institutional assessments from a variety of countries.  The index, ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption uses a scale of 0 to 100, where 0 is highly corrupt and 100 is very clean. 

In the 2018 report the ten least corrupt/most clean countries are Denmark with a rank of 88 (of 100) followed by New Zealand, Finland, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, Netherlands, and Canada.  The lowest on the scale were Syria, South Sudan and Somalia (10)

The US?  Ranked #22 (for the first time outside the top 20) with a score of 71 (out of 100), just behind France and above the UAE and Uruguay.    The US is now on TI watch list, along with Brazil and Czech Republic for potential further explained as: “US is experiencing threats to its system of checks and balances as well as an erosion of ethical norms at the highest levels of power.”

By the way, TI isn’t the only organization discussing the problems and cost of corruption.  According to Dominic Dudley’s article in Forbes “UN secretary general António Guterres told the Security Council that corruption costs at least $2.6 trillion a year, equivalent to 5% of global GDP. (https://www.forbes.com/sites/dominicdudley/2019/02/08/most-corrupt-countries-in-the-world/#23fc7e6d57bb).

Where are you working?  Considering for a new location?  Which of the countries  surveyed will offer you the fewest problems with corruption? 

Three Things to Do

 

Attending a business breakfast, lunch, dinner, reception?  There are three things I recommend you do  before you head to the event: 

 1.   Double check how you’re going to get to the event (drive, bus, Uber, scooter?), where you’re going and what time to arrive.  

2.     Check your supply of crisp, fresh business cards.  (Ditch the ones that have been living in your wallet or the side pocket of your handbag.)

3.      Eat something.  Not recommending a hot dog and orange soda but something easy.  A handful of cashews, an apple, power bar, or a Snickers   Just enough so you don’t arrive hungry, thinking only about food.  Because if you do. you’ll likely walk by the people you intended to see in a search for food.    Don’t miss an opportunity to connect, get the information you need, because you skipped lunch.

Any suggestions for other things to do?   Please share.