ABSTRACT

The beginning of the twenty-first century saw the foundations of the corporate world shaken. Major companies such as Enron and Worldcom collapsed and reports of scandals and corporate greed made headline news for months on end. In 2008 what has become known as the sub-prime crisis not only highlights the global interconnectedness of financial markets but raises questions about oversight and control. And in many of our established democracies, governments and political parties increasingly are struggling either to keep or restore the trust of their electorates.