Which option best reflects the definitions of bribes and kickbacks as given?

• A. Bribes are monetary gifts to induce an employee to favor a supplier; Kickbacks are payments made by a supplier to a corporate buyer when a purchase is made
• B. Kickbacks are gifts to an employee; Bribes are payments by a supplier after purchase
• C. Bribes and kickbacks are unrelated concepts
• D. Neither is defined

Answer: (A)

Bribes and kickbacks are illicit value transfers in a procurement context. A bribe is a gift or payment offered to someone in a position of influence to sway their decisions in favor of the giver. A kickback is a form of bribery where a supplier pays the buyer or someone in a decision-making role after or in relation to a purchase, effectively returning part of the transaction’s value to the payer.

The best choice matches this by saying bribes are monetary gifts to induce an employee to favor a supplier, and kickbacks are payments made by a supplier to a corporate buyer when a purchase is made. This captures the direction of the payoff (bribe flows to influence the recipient; kickback flows from supplier to buyer) and the relationship to the transaction.

Others misstate the roles or timing—who gives or receives, or when the payment occurs—or claim there’s no connection between the concepts.