What is the difference between giving gifts and giving bribes

Few things are better than receiving or giving the perfect gift, but knowing when a gift becomes a bribe is essential knowledge. The first significant difference between a gift and a bribe is that a gift comes with no strings attached. Bribes, unlike gifts, come with strings attached. There is nothing wrong with getting a gift for someone you care about.

Georgia law defines bribery as giving someone a benefit, reward, or consideration that they are not entitled to influence his or her performance of any act related to functions of his or her office or employment. Additionally, accepting a bribe from someone could result in criminal penalties.

One paragraph seems especially relevant:. As a general rule a line may be drawn in situations where a gift could be seen by others as either an inducement or a reward which might place an official under an obligation. It states:. And yet here we are. Our political and administrative history is replete with examples of public officials who have accepted wildly inappropriate gifts only to deny there was a quid pro quo.

Even, if legal definitions may sometimes be incompatible with individual views of what constitutes a bribe, we must still acknowledge that gift giving creates a debt, so where is the line drawn?

If a public official accepts a coffee, is he indebted to his host and to what extent? What about a lavish lunch or a hamper during the holiday season? How obliged would a prime minister in office or any other senior government official, feel towards a businessman that has given him gifts worth tens of thousands of euros?

And how has that businessman created an imbalance in their relationship? When is a gift a bribe? If the gift places a public official under any undue obligation and if its receipt is not transparent, for those who wish to see it, the answer seems pretty clear.

Consulting fees or deferred bribes? Ryan Murdock. Kevin Cassar. Blanche Gatt. The Shift is an independent online news platform committed to investigative journalism and the defence of press freedom. It is also a platform for political, cultural and social commentary from civil society. Advertising Rates Advertising Policy. Elizabeth De Gaetano. Ask the anthropologists Anthropologists have long studied this ambiguity.

Reciprocity and the creation of debt This is why we fret about gifts. Gifts and bribes in the private sector In theory, exchanging corporate gifts has the same function as individual gift giving. Gifts and bribes in the public sector As with private companies, there are numerous instances whereby gift exchanges are common in the public sphere.

One paragraph seems especially relevant: It states: 9. Making good decisions about when business gifts are appropriate is extremely complex in the United States. In global marketing it becomes one of the most challenging ethical issues, since the cultural norms in other countries can be at odds with standard ethical practices in the United States.

For this reason, gifts and bribes warrant a deeper discussion, especially with regard to B2B marketing. In considering appropriate business gifts it is helpful to think about the content of the gift, the context of the gift, and the culture in which it will be received.

When Microsoft introduced its Vista operating system, the launch included a noteworthy promotion. During the Christmas season, Microsoft sent out ninety Acer Ferrari laptops, loaded with Windows Vista Operating system, to approximately ninety influential bloggers. Different bloggers received different machines, but the lowest model was worth around two thousand dollars. Michael Arrington, editor of TechCrunch, shared the message that accompanied his gift:.

Just let me know what you plan to do with it when the time comes. And if you run into any problems let me know. Clearly, Microsoft was hoping to encourage reviews of Vista and wanted to make sure that the bloggers experienced Vista on a high-end machine that would optimize performance. Sending the gift to bloggers was a risky marketing tactic even without the ethical question.

Culturally, bloggers are a highly influential group of people with strong opinions, which they share openly to a wide audience. Many of the recipients reacted to the gift by sharing the news of the promotion and their opinions about it.

A broad range of ethical issues emerged from the surrounding discussions in the blogosphere. Below are several excerpts. Now that I know these guys any gals? The only way to switch to a new Microsoft OS is to start with a new computer. And, of course, to wait a year or two while they get the kinks out.