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Intergovernmental bodies, governments, agencies, commercial and philanthropic institutions, when deciding whether or not to invest in low income nations where there is developmental uncertainty, do not now include formal appraisals of investment risk as including economic crime and its milieu correlates. Informal evaluations seem common, but appear to be hazarded by psychosocial and methodological processes and problems of which conventional decision makers are probably not aware. The authors consider these cognitive, group information processing and data adequacy hazards, and seek to examine investment risk as it relates to published reports bearing on economic crime and associated factors. The inadequacy of current data and assumptions is emphasised. Bulgaria is the illustrative case of poor data misinterpreted, eg the role of the underground economy, of careless ‘master trait’ summary reporting, and thus of exaggerated uncertainty for investment. Because the undertakings of the newly elected Bulgarian Government affirm the principles of loan recipient soundness long demanded by the IMF, now the criterion for World Bank loans, there is reason to believe Bulgaria will increasingly be viewed as a candidate for investment and Western European integration. Nevertheless economic crime and its associated features pose a measurement and forecast weighting challenge as ‘intangibles’. It is the better definition and more rigorous measurement of these, and avoidance of distorting information‐transmitting events which can exaggerate error, which remains to be done. Hard criminological evidence supporting confidence exists, for examination of earlier crime rates shows a society with low crime rates, such that current transitional fraud and violence may be but anomalies. Further, by assigning arbitrary positive values to cultural history and current governmental intentions, it may be concluded, that given evidence of modernisation of regulations and massive police reform, and a necessary speed in instituting change, development growth is likely. The authors are themselves, like most forecasting institutions, cautiously optimistic about the investment potential of Bulgaria. They nevertheless counsel that decision makers ignore at their peril the dangers in any low income country of crime and its correlated milieu.

Offered here is a brief introduction to art and cultural heritage loss. The focus is on ‘crime’ so that ‘loss’ in fact means someone's gain. Nevertheless as is common in characterising international enterpreneurial activity, there may be little common ground on definitions of art and of crime, or willingness to be signatory to existing international treaties. Consider, for example, the failure of Japan and Western European nations, as archaeological treasure consuming—displaying nations to sign the UNESCO Convention intended to protect cultural heritages. Currently American readers learn that Turkey is acting under US civil law to recover its treasures from US collections. One, the Lydian Hoard, has just been returned by the NY Metropolitan Museum. But many legal battles lie ahead for Turkey, and, the list here is but illustrative, for Greece, Czechoslovakia, Russia, Hungary, Germany, the USA and UK, as nations fight over what came from where and belongs to whom. Also contested, what is the public versus private interest to be protected?

As part of the work of the Symposium a workshop was convened to consider the potential role of, and issues arising from, the expansion of previously political intelligence agencies into fighting international, organised economic (entrepreneurial) crime.

Nobody concerned with political economy can neglect the history of economic doctrines. Structural changes in the economy and society influence economic thinking and, conversely, innovative thought structures and attitudes have almost always forced economic institutions and modes of behaviour to adjust. We learn from the history of economic doctrines how a particular theory emerged and whether, and in which environment, it could take root. We can see how a school evolves out of a common methodological perception and similar techniques of analysis, and how it has to establish itself. The interaction between unresolved problems on the one hand, and the search for better solutions or explanations on the other, leads to a change in paradigma and to the formation of new lines of reasoning. As long as the real world is subject to progress and change scientific search for explanation must out of necessity continue.

In elite professional firms, minorities are actively recruited but struggle to move upward. The authors argue that initiatives aimed at general skill development can have unintended consequences for firm diversity. Specifically, the authors contend that approaches that win partner support through motivational significance and interpretive clarity provide a more effective avenue to skill development for minorities, who have less access than White peers to informal developmental opportunities. The authors also argue that a longer “partnership track,” which imposes a time limit on skill development, will benefit minority professionals. Using data on 601 offices of large US law firms in 1996 and 2005, the authors investigate the effects of five developmental initiatives and partnership track length on the representation of African-Americans, Latinxs, and Asian-Americans among partners. Observed effects are consistent with expectations, but patterns vary across racial-ethnic groups.

The cardinal point to note here is that the development (and unfortunately the likely potential) of area policy is intimately related to the actual character of British social policy. Whilst area policy has been strongly influenced by Pigou's welfare economics, by the rise of scientific management in the delivery of social services (cf Jaques 1976; Whittington and Bellamy 1979), by the accompanying development of operational analyses and by the creation of social economics (see Pigou 1938; Sandford 1977), social policy continues to be enmeshed with the flavours of Benthamite utilitatianism and Social Darwinism (see, above all, the Beveridge Report 1942; Booth 1889; Rowntree 1922, 1946; Webb 1926). Consequently, for their entire history area policies have been coloured by the principles of a national minimum for the many and giving poorer areas a hand up, rather than a hand out. The preceived need to save money (C.S.E. State Apparatus and Expenditure Group 1979; Klein 1974) and the (supposed) ennobling effects of self help have been the twin marching orders for area policy for decades. Private industry is inadvertently called upon to plug the resulting gaps in public provision. The conjunction of a reluctant state and a meandering private sector has fashioned the decaying urban areas of today. Whilst a large degree of party politics and commitment has characterised the general debate over the removal of poverty (Holman 1973; MacGregor 1981), this has for the most part bypassed the ‘marginal’ poorer areas (cf Green forthcoming). Their inhabitants are not usually numerically significant enough to sway general, party policies (cf Boulding 1967) and the problems of most notably the inner cities has been underplayed.

The 40-letter correspondence concerning the French translation of The General Theory, between John Maynard Keynes and his translator, Jean de Largentaye, is a testimony of their close collaboration, which also involved Piero Sraffa in 1938 and 1939. Largentaye’s lexicon appears at the end of the French edition, providing definitions in French of technical terms used by Keynes. After its publication by Payot in 1942, the French edition of The General Theory was well received in France and no doubt contributed to the economic and social successes of the country in the subsequent 25 years.

The purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview of the research presented in this edited volume.

This report is based on 17 chapters, which vary in terms of research approach, design, and method, yet aims to present different country perspectives on diversity within diversity management.

The chapters present new insights on how the national and macro-social environment impacts the institutional approaches to diversity management across the world. Findings indicate the need for organizations to focus on deep-level diversity, rather than choosing a tick-box policy on surface-level diversity. Empirical studies reveal that every institution can adopt a diversity-friendly approach in a way that best fits their structure, culture and the mentality of their top management team.

The report summarizes and integrates novel insights on country perspectives and approaches on diversity management.