Introduction

In April 2017 Rutgers University, Camden hosted a symposium at which Phil Scranton presented a paper entitled "Managing Communist Enterprises: Poland, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia, 1945-1970," followed by comments from Pal Germuska (Hungarian National Archvies), Natalya Vinokurova (Whartone), and Lee Vinsel (Virginia Tech). Enterprise and Society is delighted to now publish together as a symposium revised versions of Professor Scranton's lead paper, the three comments, and a final reply. Phil Scranton is of course well known to the readership of this journal, not only as previous Editor-in-Chief, but even more so as one of the most important business historians of recent decades. Phil's pioneering, questing spirit is again evident in this path breaking work on the management of communist enterprises in Eastern Europe. Taken together I believe this suite of papers is poised to make an important and lasting contribution that widens the focus of business history. Thus, it is a privilege to be able to publish them and I extend my thanks to all four authors.

Elsewhere in this issue we have also found the space for four original research articles. Tiago Mata examines the role and function of business magazines during the Great Depression; Natalya Vinokurova excavates the complex story of the emergence of mortgage backed securities between 1968 and 1987; David Smith and Richard Blundel pick apart the relationship between capabilities and innovation via a case study of British musical instrument makers across the twentieth-century; and finally, Richard Popp (no relation) takes us into the world of 800-numbers and the rise of direct marketing. The issue is, of course, completed by a complement of book reviews. I hope all readers will find much to entertain and inform in this issue.