Category Archives: bureaucracy

Should You Hire a Corrupt Manager in Russia?

Posted on February 12, 2013 by

That’s the provocative question raised by Prof. Maxim Mironov of IE Business School in a new paper, which I came across via this post at the Wall Street Journal. In short, Mironov concludes that yes, on occasion, it is worthwhile … Continue reading →

Posted in bribery, bribes, bureaucracy, Business, compliance, corruption, officials, rule of law, russia | 1 Comment

War on Corruption – What to Make of the Latest Scandals?

Posted on December 7, 2012 by

Update: for the Russian speakers, today Kommersant put up an excellent resource on its website, with an infographic on the latest scandals and corruption generally, and links to articles on everything I cover below. Of particular interest – the total financial losses collectively inflicted … Continue reading →

Posted in bribery, bribes, bureaucracy, clans, corruption, criminal law, Dmitry Medvedev, mvd, Putin, Rostekhnologii, russia, siloviki, Vladimir Putin, war on corruption | 1 Comment

IKEA in Russia – Light at the End of the Tunnel?

Posted on June 21, 2011 by

It has been six months since I last wrote on IKEA, and I thought it was time to check in on TRM’s favorite foreign investor in Russia.  In December, it appeared that IKEA’s problems were only getting worse.  The whole story … Continue reading →

Posted in bribery, bribes, bureaucracy, Business, compliance, corruption, Foreign direct investment, foreign investment, IKEA, Nabiullina, oecd, rule of law | 4 Comments

Tip of the Spear – Can Big Business Battle Corruption in Russia?

Posted on March 26, 2011 by

Last year, there was a minor stir in the Russian and Western press when major European/American businesses and business associations involved in Russia signed an integrity pact pledging not to pay bribes in that country.  Many were skeptical at the … Continue reading →

Posted in anti-corruption legislation, bribery, bureaucracy, Business, Business and Economy, compliance, corruption, fcpa, Foreign direct investment, foreign investment, RECA

Truth or Consequences – IKEA as a Case Study of Russia’s Miserable Investment Climate

Posted on October 8, 2010 by

Earlier this year I wrote about IKEA’s corruption problems in Russia.  Two senior managers were fired after Swedish media reported that the managers had approved a bribe payment by their general contractor in order to obtain electricity service for a … Continue reading →

Posted in bribery, bribes, bureaucracy, Business, Business and Economy, corruption, Economic development, Foreign direct investment, foreign investment, IKEA, officials, russia, Russian economy | 3 Comments