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This is exactly the topic of my PhD on corruption in government procurement processes (a pandemic endeavour). My research shows that corruption (which includes conflict of interests such as the PwC example) are not only about bad apples (individuals to blame) but also bad barrels (organisations to blame) and bad orchards (institutions or whole sectors such as the consultancy sector to blame). It's so frustrating to see organisations lay all the blame on individuals when they (the organisations) have set a corporate culture that tolerates, ignores or even encourages that corrupt behaviour, and when a whole institution (eg the military, the police, the public sector) also tries to duck out of its responsibilities for controlling and directing the integrity of its members, both individual and and organisational.
Edited to add: This really cheeses me off. Just to keep it on topic
And being a cynical old ex-public servant who once upon a time got a quote to the effect that my services would be provided by Mr Price, Ms Waterhouse and Mr Cooper themselves, only to find that I got a 22 year old communications graduate from a rural university who literally could not tell the difference between cough and clay (yes it happened to me just the once before I wised up on specified personnel clauses), I know too that that is exactly how they do things if they think they can get away with it.
Reminds me a little bit of my time in investment banking. We, the Advisor team would pitch for a job, usually after a 'beauty parade', and the first thing that happened after we were appointed the mining company's must trusted confidant and loyal adviser (eg to initiate or fight off a take-over) was that we'd have a massive fight over the terms of engagement, including fees. Usually, we'd present them (client) with our 'Standard Engagement Letter' (implying it was inviolable) , which they would laugh at, knowing full well it wasn't standard at all and proceed to gut it with what they wanted. Tense negotiations followed!
It was very rare that we didn't have to guarantee certain participations of top brass of our side, especially in key decisions; everything vetted and signed off by very senior folk and those senior folk to lead the meetings etc. Had to guarantee deliverables - who would write, who would vet etc. Key senior people had to be available on the phone 24/7 and had to be up to speed to make decisions there and then.
Yes, juniors and associates did the grunt work - ran the models and wrote the reports, but the very senior staff absolutely participated.
Private enterprise.