Is an advisory fee to speed up permits a bribe or an acceptable business cost?

"Ethics Activity The executives of a clothing manufacturer want to outsource some of their manufacturing to more cost- efficient locations in Indonesia. After visiting several possible sites, they choose one and begin to negotiate with local officials. They discover that it will take about six months to get the necessary permits. One of the local politicians approaches the executives over dinner and hints that he can speed up the process for an advisory fee of $5,000. Using a web search tool, locate articles about this topic, and then write responses to the following questions. Be sure to support your arguments and cite your sources. Ethical Dilemma: Is paying the advisory fee a bribe or an acceptable cost of doing business in that area of the world? What should the executives do before agreeing to pay the fee? Sources: Eric Markowitz, “The Truth about Bribery and Doing Foreign Business,” Inc. , https://www.inc.com, accessed March 19, 2018; Roberto A. Ferdman, “How the World’s Biggest Companies Bribe Foreign Governments,” The Washington Post, https://www.washingtonpost.com, accessed March 19, 2018; David Rising, “The 10 Countries Most Likely to Use Bribery in Business,” Huffington Post , https://huffingtonpost.com, accessed March 19, 2018. Working the Net Chapter 3 Competing in the Global Marketplace 125"