Conflict and Cooperation in Intelligence and Security Organisations: An Institutional Costs Approach

This book provides an institutional costs framework for intelligence and security communities to examine the factors that can encourage or obstruct cooperation. It applies to counterterrorism and defense intelligence in the UK and the US to demonstrate that the view of good cooperation in the former and poor cooperation in the latter is overly simplistic.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 238 pages
Publication date: 31 May 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This comprehensive book offers a valuable framework for intelligence and security communities to assess the factors that promote or hinder cooperation. In the realm of governmental security and intelligence, numerous organizations must collaborate seamlessly to address complex issues and allocate resources effectively. By integrating adapted versions of transaction costs theories with socio-political perspectives, this book provides a comprehensive model to explain why some cooperative endeavors succeed while others fail.

The framework is applied to counterterrorism and defense intelligence in the UK and the US to challenge the notion that good cooperation is prevalent in the former and lacking in the latter. It emphasizes that neither country is inherently more inclined to cooperate than the other; rather, the institutional costs created by their respective organizational architectures shape different cooperative behaviors in different circumstances.

This book is of immense interest to students of intelligence studies, organizational studies, politics, and security studies. It provides valuable insights into the dynamics of cooperation and sheds light on the factors that shape collaborative efforts in these critical domains. By examining the interplay between organizational structures, social dynamics, and strategic considerations, this book offers valuable tools for policymakers, practitioners, and scholars alike to enhance cooperation and achieve successful outcomes in the complex world of intelligence and security.

Weight: 467g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367619541