A role for business in the War on Terror

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present research findings that improve our understanding of the role for business in the “War on Terror”. This paper is not about examining counter‐terrorism commodities or products. Rather, this paper aims to examine management attitudes and techniques for creating images of security that work to reduce the risk of terrorism.

Design/methodology/approach

A brief literature exploration informs research that was carried out in Melbourne, Australia in 2005 with managers in organisations located in Melbourne's central business district (CBD). This research comprised in‐depth interviews of 40‐60 minutes in length. In total, 12 managers were interviewed. Two key respondents emerged and their views are presented in this paper.

Findings

It is argued in this paper that managers are compelled to engage in counter‐terrorism in order to protect customers, clients and the public. Yet counter‐terrorism security is often not what it seems. When businesses are engaged in countering terrorism they are engaged in creating images of security.

Research limitations/implications

The sample population for this research is quite small and is not intended to be representative or generalisable to a larger population. Rather, this research represents special cases where counter‐terrorism has become an important consideration for business security. The results highlight effective and tangible mechanisms that managers can adopt to play a key role in the “War on Terror”.

Practical implications

This research can assist managers in preparing their response to terrorism and the threat it poses to their business.

Originality/value

Research on terrorism and business is rare and often under‐developed. This research contributes to our understanding of how businesses must confront and respond to terrorism.

Citation

Howie, L. (2009), "A role for business in the War on Terror", Disaster Prevention and Management, Vol. 18 No. 2, pp. 100-107. https://doi.org/10.1108/09653560910953180