In September 2008 we found ourselves faced with a situation which was considered by some as the major crisis of the 21st century; global financial melt down. The possible consequences of this crisis overshadowed concerns about climate change, AIDS and terrorism in the media. In order to contribute to the debate this ebook presents a series of theoretical papers which approach the issue from a range of perspectives, including institutional theory, systems theory, and political and economic theory. These are followed by a group of empirical studies which present a critical analysis of a variety of financial institutions worldwide. We hope that this collection will stimulate further discussion in the academic literature, will be found of relevance to those engaged in determining future financial institutional frameworks and practices, and will inform critical management education in the future.