Category Archives: bureaucracy

Russia’s New Old Anticorruption Campaign – “We’re serious this time!”

Posted on November 20, 2014 by

There’s an article on Bloomberg that caught my eye (h/t @agoodtreaty). The article claims that Pres. Putin approved the launch of a ‘new’ anticorruption campaign following a meeting at the Presidential residence in October. According to the article, this was ‘shocking’ … Continue reading →

Posted in bribes, bureaucracy, clans, corruption, criminal law

Growth of Russian Bureaucracy – Parkinson’s Law

Posted on August 16, 2013 by

Parkinson’s Law is a principle governing the natural expansion of bureaucracies, famously articulated in a 1955 essay in the Economist. Under Parkinson’s Law, a government bureaucracy – and, arguably, the administrative staff of some large modern corporations – will naturally … Continue reading →

Posted in bureaucracy

The Guriev Affair – Signal or Noise?

Posted on June 9, 2013 by

Last month, well-known Russian economist Sergei Guriev fled Russia in an apparent attempt to avoid what he described as a politically motivated investigation of his involvement in co-authoring a 2011 report critical of Russia’s prosecution of Mikhail Khodorkovsky. In an … Continue reading →

Posted in bureaucracy, Guriev, russia, siloviki

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