Contribution of Anti-bribery management system to sustainable development

Standardized management system offers a set of tools to create a cohesive set of interacting elements designed to establish the organization and to overcome challenges. The anti-bribery management system provides a pathway to organization’s sustainability and resilience if properly implemented and maintained. The aim of this research was to explore the understanding of European managers of how the anti-bribery management system (ABMS) of their organization can contribute to sustainable development since there is currently very little practical information on this topic. Data was collected through interviews with 119 managers of small and medium-sized enterprises that had implemented the ABMS. Cluster analysis and other qualitative methods were used to analyze the data. The findings of this research point to a gap in the understanding of the connection between sustainable development and ABMS that represents the potential for improvement. Stakeholder management remains the main point of connection perceived by all managers. Managers in organizations with more mature ABMS can better tailor their activities towards sustainability. Managers are aware of how ABMS benefits can directly contribute to sustainable development. Bribery risk analysis conducted as part of ABMS is not generally used to uncover threats to sustainable development. Understanding the connection between ABMS and sustainable development serves not just as a set of measures designed to support organization’s progress, but also contribute to more sustainable society. Therefore, the findings of this research contribute to shaping the near future through tailoring the management systems of organizations to more sustainable means.