Resisting Corruption: Polyhydron Private Ltd

Abstract

The case describes the resistance to corruption practised by Suresh Hundre, the founder and CEO of Polyhydron Private Limited (PPL), an SME in the manufacturing sector based in the small Indian city of Belgaum. It documents the decision adopted by Hundre in 1983 to resist corruption and the number of encounters with corrupt governmental officials that he subsequently faces and overcomes. In addition to following a transparent policy towards all stakeholders, Hundre also introduces a number of innovative management practices in his organization such as Just-In- Time (JIT), Kanban, self-managed work teams and the Nikkerin wealth sharing system. This enlightened management takes the company to achieve high growth in revenues and profits. The case can be used to illustrate the strategic and tactical issues in resisting corruption in environments where corruption is widespread.