| dc.description.abstract | The concepts fraud and corruption can be defined in several ways, depending on the
contexts in which the terms are being applied. One needs only to look at the history
of civilizations, both those in the past and the present, to see that corruption and
fraud have existed as major problems in all societies, including those that were governed
under the rule of kings, tsars, military dictators, or religious rulers as well as
those controlled by elected officials in democratic societies. In regard to corruption,
if there are people in power position who have the opportunity to make decisions
and allocate resources the opportunity for corruption exists.
In short, corruption can be found in almost any organization or group that has
some form of power structure, including business and commercial enterprises, public
service agencies, such as the police and welfare agencies, hospitals, nursing
homes, educational institutions, religious organizations, and government agencies.
Corruption is defined as the misuse of power to obtain an unlawful advantage. In
order to engage in corruption, an individual must hold some type of position of
power that gives the person the opportunity to misuse the position to take improper
actions, or to fail to take actions on matters pertaining to the responsibilities of the
position. The person engaging in corruption is generally motivated by self-interests
such as gaining money, a promotion, or in some cases the desire to be known as
having the influence to affect the outcome of matters. To engage in a corrupt act is
generally defined as a crime in most criminal codes, but corruption is also a mechanism
or a vehicle to commit other crimes such as theft, embezzlement, and fraud. | en_US |
