Bribe in form of goodwill

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My job as an interior designer/contractor. sometiomes suppliers come and offer to use their product.

at the same time,the supplier buys me a very expensive lunch, i accept the lunch. and at the end he keep inclining his product. now after the lunch i proposed the product to my boss. there are other products availabe too.

now my question, is that a form of bribe?

-- james (jameshow@hotmail.com), March 03, 2005

Answers

Depends. If you recommended his product only to reciprocate for buying you lunch, without regard for the quality of the product relative to other products, that would certainly constitute a breach of your responsibility to your employer. However, if you truly believed his product had certain advantages over other products, even if he used the lunchtime to make you aware of those advantages, then recommending his product based on those perceived advantages would be appropriate.

-- Paul M. (PaulCyp@cox.net), March 03, 2005.

Wouldn't a bribe be only something that represents a "quid pro quo" that is expressly illegal?

The lunch thing is standard business practice. I do not believe there is anything illegal about it in such a case.

Perhaps Pat Delaney could address this from a legal standpoint?

-- Karl (parkerkajwen@hotmail.com), March 04, 2005.


Both Paul and Karl are correct. One thing to watch out for is industries in which the level of expense on lunch or whatever is regulated. I know it is for drug detailers selling to doctors, I have no knowledge about interior design or home construction supply sales.

Sales people are tempted in many ways to bend the rules to maximize sales opportunities. Lawyers, of course, are the exception. Lawyers are an inspired profession, guided by a code of professional ethics, and caring not for ourselves but only for our clients. We are immune to temptation, and always do everything correctly and legally for just the right reason and motivation.

-- Pat Delaney (patrickrdelaney@yahoo.com), March 04, 2005.


Shucks. And I was all ready to invite you out to a $200 lunch.

-- Paul M. (PaulCyp@cox.net), March 04, 2005.

LOL!! I like your sense of humor, Pat.

James, Business lunches should be viewed simply as the price to get someone's attention. The exchange is that you get a meal while the vendor gets an opportunity to present his/her product away from the usual distractions of your worksplace (phone, emails, etc). There's no expectation that the lunch guarantees preference of product on even the vendor's part - at least usually.

David

-- non-Catholic Christian (no@spam.com), March 04, 2005.



It better be at an unlimited dessert bar....LOL!

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), March 04, 2005.

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