steve on Nostr: “The Terrorist’s Dilemma: Managing Violent Covert Organizations” by Jacob N. ...
“The Terrorist’s Dilemma: Managing Violent Covert Organizations” by Jacob N. Shapiro
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Part of what makes TV shows like “The Office” so entertaining is how relatable (albeit exaggerated) the characters’ experiences can be. Organizations of all kinds, after all, are comprised of multiple individuals with a myriad of preferences and insecurities. With that in mind, why would terrorist organizations be any different? Jacob Shapiro is an international affairs professor at Princeton with a background in economics. He tackles this somewhat uncomfortable subject in hopes of shedding light on the internal organizational dynamics within terrorist organizations in hopes of informing future counterinsurgency policies. The “terrorist’s dilemma”, as defined by Shapiro, is the constant trade-off of efficiency and control in favor of secrecy (and consequently security) within a covert organization. The dynamics of theses trade-offs create challenges for terrorist leaders that can be exploited by their adversaries. At the core of this phenomenon is the concept of individual diverging preferences within any organization. Just as Dwight and Jim diverged in their preferences to the detriment of the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, so too can the divergent interests of leaders and field operatives within a terrorist organization undermine their overall effectiveness. This was a well-researched and ambitious book that provides a refreshingly constructivist treatment on organizational decision-making. 💼📝
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Part of what makes TV shows like “The Office” so entertaining is how relatable (albeit exaggerated) the characters’ experiences can be. Organizations of all kinds, after all, are comprised of multiple individuals with a myriad of preferences and insecurities. With that in mind, why would terrorist organizations be any different? Jacob Shapiro is an international affairs professor at Princeton with a background in economics. He tackles this somewhat uncomfortable subject in hopes of shedding light on the internal organizational dynamics within terrorist organizations in hopes of informing future counterinsurgency policies. The “terrorist’s dilemma”, as defined by Shapiro, is the constant trade-off of efficiency and control in favor of secrecy (and consequently security) within a covert organization. The dynamics of theses trade-offs create challenges for terrorist leaders that can be exploited by their adversaries. At the core of this phenomenon is the concept of individual diverging preferences within any organization. Just as Dwight and Jim diverged in their preferences to the detriment of the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, so too can the divergent interests of leaders and field operatives within a terrorist organization undermine their overall effectiveness. This was a well-researched and ambitious book that provides a refreshingly constructivist treatment on organizational decision-making. 💼📝