Fortunes for the Bold: Emergence and Evolution of the Private Military and Security Industry

• In Event: 161 - Section on Organizations, Occupation and Work Roundtable Session (one-hour).
  In Refereed Roundtable: Section on Organizations, Occupation and Work Roundtables (one-hour). Table 01. Industry Emergence and Evolution

Abstract

A private military and security company industry has emerged over the past three decades. A significant focus has been on the provision of services to United States Government and its allies in Iraq and Afghanistan. While this work has been important it begs the question as to how representative it is, as well as what has happened since the decrease in direct military activities by these principles in these locations. This study analyzes a unique dataset of nearly 1,500 private military and security organizations which was collected specifically for this purpose. Findings suggest a much greater breadth and diversity of activities than previously reported. It also suggests that this is an industry accelerating its growth through the identification and exploitation of both traditional and new opportunities. This challenges arguments that this industry is primarily a surrogate of the Unites States military or that it is in decline in the wake of its interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan. This suggests patterns of emergence in the current hyper- globalized environment, as well as ramifications for governance in this context.

Author

• Joseph R. Bongiovi, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill