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 those 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-Robb's 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 years' 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 defenses against these risks –- through careful assessment, staff awareness, good business practice and practical measures such as building design and use of security equipment.

Topics covered include:

* Defining ''gray area'' risks
* Risk reduction strategies for international investment
* Different cultures: misconceptions and business integration
* Bureaucracy and corruption
* Risky legal regimes
* Organized crime and its effects on trade
* Ethical/unethical business practice
* Asset and personnel security issues
* Defense against terrorism, kidnapping etc.
* Defense against hacking/IT security
* Global/regional disaster scenarios
* Hot-spots: a country-by-country analysis of risk by type

In addition, special case studies include Burma, Indonesia, South Korea, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, the European Union, Royal Dutch/Shell and industrial espionage.