Editorial

Citation

Kirkbride, J. and Howells, G. (2007), "Editorial", Managerial Law, Vol. 49 No. 1/2. https://doi.org/10.1108/ml.2007.01049aaa.001

Editorial

Managerial Law as a concept for encompassing and engaging with the legal changes and challenges facing those involved in directly, leading and managing organisation is forever dynamic and now, perhaps, at its most challenging. Over recent years, corporate scandals have rocked the public's confidence in the effectiveness of law, regulation and enforcement powers. Price-fixing, bribery, insider-trader and accounting fraud have attracted high profile reporting. Rogue traders, greedy executives and poorly performing regulators have threatened the credibility of the legal and regulatory framework within which those individuals are permitted to operate. Despite, or even because, of these events the policy and law makers must respond often through a collibratory approach of seeking to adjust the pressure and balances in order to restore the supportive environment in which the individual and organisation can compete and contribute to the enhancement of value – often shareholder value. In order to achieve the collibratory balance, debate and discussion needs to incorporate analysis and interpretation of technical laws as well as debate on development and practice within a theoretical, often multi-disciplinary, context drawing upon economic and social frameworks.

In pursuance of this new environment, the first issue under our joint-editorship seeks to provide a series of "viewpoints" on the current agenda facing external and internal relationships in consumer and corporate issues. We hope the reader finds these opinions thought-provoking and worthy of detailed analysis and response. Similarly, a viewpoint is presented on the changing nature of "business law" – always a challenge for those seeking to provide a definition of convenience, and perhaps a plea to continue the search but with little expectation of reaching a conclusion. The substantive articles reflect contributions from international scholars on contemporary areas of concern and provide excellent examples of the need to place the legal rules within the policy and organisational practice context We hope you find the content stimulating and that you engage with the journal in seeking to influence policy developments in the emerging agenda for organisations and their regulation.

Many of the challenges in the modern business environment face many countries simultaneously and/or involve international developments. We hope that these international aspects will continue to be prominent features of this publication.

James Kirkbride and Geraint Howells