NCJ Number
172700
Journal
Security Journal Volume: 8 Issue: 3 Dated: August 1997 Pages: 263-275
Date Published
1997
Length
13 pages
Annotation
Security managers from large international corporations were surveyed to determine substantive and management issues in corporate security, the security services that can safely be outsourced by management, and emerging issues in security management.
Abstract
The data were collected from corporate security executives from Fortune 100 companies. Eighteen of the 21 surveys were completed and returned. Participants also took part in a round-table discussion to validate the data further. Results revealed that white-collar crimes, workplace violence, information security terrorism, and country instabilities are the main substantive issues in security. Executive and employee protection and general theft and crime are also prevalent but of lower priority. The main security issues for managers involved organizational changes, outsourcing, resource reduction, downsizing, and international administrative problems. The majority of surveys also noted interactions with corporate management, a lack of senior positions, and technological advances as important issues. Investigations were an area commonly regarded as appropriate for outsourcing. Pitfalls of outsourcing were listed as loss of control and communications on investigations, loss of confidentiality on analyses, and ethical and reliability issues with outsourcing agencies. Findings indicated that crucial factors in effective security management in the future will include challenging old structures, determining what value each function contributes to return on capital employed, and deciding how to staff and structure optimally. Figures and appended instrument and results