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Managers of businesses located in some foreign countries are often forced to make "grease" payments to government officials in order to operate in their country, e.g., payments to customs officials to move goods and materials through customs. In effect, these are payments to officials to get on with doing their duty in contrast with a bribe, which is usually a payment for someone not to do his or her duty. Are these grease payments ethically justifiable? If managers cannot operate without paying them, are they victims of extortion and morally blameless for contributing to the corruption of these officials? If reporting these officials would stop the practice, do the managers have a duty to do so? |