Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are part of Mexico’s economy. They operate in an environment where formal control systems exist alongside informal cash transactions, verbal agreements, and personal networks. Like many SMEs in emerging markets, Mexican SMEs must strive to maintain integrity while under pressure. For some, informality is a shortcut, but for SMEs, it’s a path to stay in business.

On February 27, 2024, Mauricio Gomez Baez, a former Senior Vice President of international waste management company Stericycle, Inc.,...