Risky Business

The terrorist outrages of 11 September 2001 and the rapid collapse of Enron both highlight the uncomfortable fact that business and business people are subject to risks much broader and often more personally hazardous than the commercial and financial risks studied at business school. These risks to organizations and their employees in international markets are not confined to the actions of a few fanatical terrorists or fraudsters. They encompass a range of activity arising from different cultures and attitudes. They stem from the willingness or otherwise of governments to strengthen weaknesses in policing, judicial systems and anti-terrorism and to stamp out organized crime, corruption, unfair trading, cronyism, bureaucracy and civil unrest. All of these things exist to some degree in every country of the world. Through its international network - both official and clandestine - Stuart Poole- Robbs company, the Merchant International Group (MIG), has developed an unparalleled knowledge of the risks facing international businesses and those employed by them. MIG acts for many major international corporations in evaluating risks before investment and determining likely threats to success and safety well beyond the norms of due diligence. This book is the result of 20 year experience in this field. It explains in detail the nature of risk and provides country analysis showing the extent and severity of local risk. It also proposes a series of defences against these risks - through careful assessment, staff awareness, good business practice and practical measures such as building design and use of security equipment.