Global Oil Companies - is the Sale of Influence an enethical business worthy of corruption

A global oil and gas company that intends to conduct operations in a foreign jurisdiction must have an understanding of how things work in that jurisdiction. This is done through a consultancy agreement between the company and the consultant. This agreement brings with it the anticipation of the company that the consultant will exercise some form of influence on its behalf. This kind of influence may include making expeditious payments to officials of state oil companies in order to secure approvals of development plans in relation to oil blocks. The company may also expect the consultant to use its contacts to lobby on its behalf. This then raises the question whether this kind of conduct constitutes an unethical conduct worthy of corruption. What adds to this complexity is that what is considered corrupt in one country may not be considered corrupt in another country. If a Global Oil company is perceived by the public as corrupt, it may not only affect the credibility of the company but also the whole social structure in which it operates. This paper seeks to examine the consequences of unethical conduct on a global company in particular and the wider society it conducts its business in general.