The Future of Intelligence Analysis, Volume 2: Annotated Bibliography: Publications on Intelligence Analysis and Reform

“This study contains the findings and recommendations of the Future of Intelligence Analysis Project, an eighteen-month effort that explored what must be done to provide the US government with an effective intelligence analysis capability in the future.”—Executive Summary in Vol. 1

An Analysis of IT/IS Offshore Outsourcing: Educator Perspectives

IT/IS Offshore outsourcing is defined as a commercial arrangement of transferring local ITIIS functions, assets, activities, products and services to a foreign contractor therefore removing new employment positions, replacing or displacing U.S. domestic IT/IS workers with those from other countries for financial or competitive advantage of the outsourcing client. This process of offshore outsourcing to overseas locations was perceived to have consequences on IT/IS student enrolment at U.S. universities. The objective of this study was to identify administrators\u27 responses to reduced IT/IS student enrolments. The majority of ITIIS college administrators have concerns about offshore outsourcing, and is perceived to reduce student enrolments. Ninety-five percent of the universities experienced enrolment declines after the year 2000. The dotcom bubble burst, offshore outsourcing and media talk on lost jobs were the perceived main causes. Some universities have taken remedial steps; marketing IT/IS to high school students, getting the IT industry involved, and seeking government funding. The research questions for this study include: What are the concerns in U.S. universities due to IT/IS offshore outsourcing, in relation to interest and enrolment by students in IT/IS programs? What are the prevailing consequences of ITIIS offshore outsourcing on undergraduate training for IT/IS programs? What are the specific changes in ITIIS university programs that can be attributed to ITIIS offshore outsourcing? This study was conducted by running interviews with college administrators (Dean or Head of Department) in U.S. Universities. A total of twenty randomly selected universities voluntarily participated in this research. The interview transcripts were validated for content with the respondents through email feedback. The following are recommended actions; implementing curriculum reviews, redefining departmental marketing strategies for new students, advocating for government funding, advertisements in news media, and seeking IT industry plus professional organizations\u27 assistance. It is recommended that IT/IS training be focused on offshore-proof skills. Some of the training skills include: bio-informatics, nano-technology, double majors, offshore business management, teamwork participation, forensic technology, security, and data mining. According to the department of labor and statistics, the projected job growth for IT/IS careers is excellent. Universities can leverage on this message and promote student interes

China\u27s Aggression in the 21st Century

ii ABSTRACT: The Thucydides Trap is a pattern for identifying rising powers preparing to disrupt the status quo by challenging an already established one. Assuming this pattern is correct, and if we fail to take actions to modify this path, then it is not at all unlikely that the long-elevating tensions between China and its adversaries (the US and its allies) will eventually reach a point of critical mass – and even result in direct military conflict. This paper will look to outline the tactics and actions taken by China. This will then be followed by my argument for proactive measures needed and available to the US and its allies to avoid the worst. The outcome of such measures will hopefully lead to discussions that allow for mutual goals to be mapped out between all parties in an attempt to de-escalate and find common ground. While there is no way to fully know what all parties desire for themselves, there are a few areas worth discussing that are outlined at the end of the paper that seem to be realistic points for discussion (i.e. fair trade, Pacific coastal waters, and others). In the end, the goal will ultimately be to find stability and common ground: Chinese people and government comfortable with their place in the international community and interacting with other nations in an open, honest, mutually equitable, and sustainable manner

Agency strategy, strength, and adaptation : implementation of the Bush administration's competitive sourcing policy

Includes bibliographical references (pages [348]-380).In the context of the federal bureaucracy’s shrinking discretion and the “thinning” of administrative institutions, the implementation of the Bush administration’s competitive sourcing policy, guided by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular No. A-76, offers a venue to explore how bureaucracy adapts to the changing environment and creates space using various strategies and resources. The implementation of this policy showcases the extent to which agencies obey their elected leaders when their organizational capacities are threatened. The Bush administration shifted the long-standing policy of relying on the private sector for the performance of commercial activities to one of mandatory competition between the government and the private sector, where winners were those who promised to perform the job with a lower price tag. This occurred simultaneously with a redefinition of inherently governmental functions that enlarged the share of potentially outsourceable jobs. With this type of competitive sourcing, federal employees had to cope with the pressures of protecting their capacities and defending their worth using a costly and adversarial process. This study examines the unintended consequences for governance of this policy and extends existing organization, implementation, and bureaucratic power theories to an initiative that threatens to shake the bedrock of the federal civil service.Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy

From Convergence to Compromise: Understanding the Interplay of Digital Transformation and Mergers on Data Breach Risks in Local and Cross-Border Mergers

In today\u27s digital age, the potential risks and challenges associated with digital transformation (DT) and cybersecurity have received limited research attention. This dissertation consists of three interconnected studies that aim to address this gap. The first study employs paradox theory to demonstrate that DT initiatives can increase a firm\u27s susceptibility to data breaches. Using a unique dataset spanning 10 years and involving 3604 brands, our analysis reveals that DT efforts in mobile and digital marketing are associated with a higher incidence of data breaches. However, firms can mitigate this impact by enhancing their innovative capacities. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the complex relationship between DT, data breaches, and innovation. Our second investigation, rooted in complexity theory and matching theory, examines the impact of mergers and acquisitions (M&As) on the frequency of data breaches. By analyzing 18 years of data from 5072 US firms, we find that M&As increase the likelihood of data breaches, particularly when the merging firms operate in different business domains. Furthermore, we observe that M&As that receive more media attention are more prone to data breaches, while those involving a more vulnerable target firm have fewer breaches. In our third study, guided by Institutional theory, we explore the relationship between cross-border mergers and acquisitions (CBMA) and data breaches. Our findings indicate that CBMAs, especially those accompanied by significant media publicity and involving firms from divergent institutional contexts, heighten the risk of data breaches. Overall, these studies provide valuable insights for firms aiming to mitigate data breach risks during their digital transformation (DT) efforts and M&A activities. They emphasize the importance of adopting a balanced communication strategy and considering the security implications of strategic actions. Moreover, our findings contribute to the academic discourse in information systems by illuminating the intricate interplay between DT, M&As, and data breaches

Afghanistan

Afghanistan has been in the headlines for many years – but tragically for all the wrong reasons. First invaded by the Soviets in 1979, the country then experienced the trauma of civil war followed by yet another intervention, this time by the United States and allies, which ended with the West’s ignominious withdrawal in August 2021. Afghanistan: Long War, Forgotten Peace examines multiple dimensions of what happened and why, and what the future holds for the country now the Taliban are back in power. Multidisciplinary in approach, this book features analysts from a variety of academic disciplines, including policy-makers and public intellectuals – many with direct experience of having lived and worked in Afghanistan. It explains why the Taliban finally triumphed, what this means for Afghan society, and how competing actors in the international system have reacted to the Taliban takeover. Questions include whether the West’s withdrawal represented a major or only a temporary setback for NATO and the United States, and whether and how there can be any amelioration of the situation in Afghanistan itself. The country and its people face multiple interrelated challenges, including those of women’s rights, the drugs economies and human trafficking and exploitation. This volume is essential reading for all those concerned with what happens in Afghanistan over the coming months and years, the consequences for the Afghan people – and for the rest of the world

Afghanistan

Afghanistan has been in the headlines for many years – but tragically for all the wrong reasons. First invaded by the Soviets in 1979, the country then experienced the trauma of civil war followed by yet another intervention, this time by the United States and allies, which ended with the West’s ignominious withdrawal in August 2021. Afghanistan: Long War, Forgotten Peace examines multiple dimensions of what happened and why, and what the future holds for the country now the Taliban are back in power. Multidisciplinary in approach, this book features analysts from a variety of academic disciplines, including policy-makers and public intellectuals – many with direct experience of having lived and worked in Afghanistan. It explains why the Taliban finally triumphed, what this means for Afghan society, and how competing actors in the international system have reacted to the Taliban takeover. Questions include whether the West’s withdrawal represented a major or only a temporary setback for NATO and the United States, and whether and how there can be any amelioration of the situation in Afghanistan itself. The country and its people face multiple interrelated challenges, including those of women’s rights, the drugs economies and human trafficking and exploitation. This volume is essential reading for all those concerned with what happens in Afghanistan over the coming months and years, the consequences for the Afghan people – and for the rest of the world

The EU and crisis response

This is a start-of-the-art consideration of the European Union’s crisis response mechanisms. It brings together scholars from a range of disciplinary backgrounds to examine how and why the EU responds to crises on its borders and further afield. The work is based on extensive fieldwork in among another places, Afghanistan, Libya, Mali and Iraq.The book considers the construction of crises and how some issues are deemed crises and others not. A major finding from this comparative study is that EU crisis response interventions have been placing increasing emphasis on security and stabilisation and less emphasis on human rights and democratisation. This changes – quite fundamentally – the EU’s stance as an international actor and leads to questions about the nature of the EU and how it perceives itself and is perceived by others.The volume is able to bring together scholars from EU Studies and Peace and Conflict Studies. The result showcases concept and theory-building alongside case study research