The Spread of Military Innovations
Adoption Capacity Theory, Tactical Incentives, and the Case of Suicide Terrorism
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6121743 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Andrea Gilli (corresponding author), Mauro Gilli (0000-0003-1590-9068) |
| Year | 2014 |
| Volume | 23 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 513-547 |
| Publication date | 2014-07-03 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Security Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0963-6412 • E-ISSN: 1556-1852 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/09636412.2014.935233 |
| OpenAlex | W2046709776 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 10 |
What explains the adoption of military innovations? In this article, we assess the empirical validity of adoption capacity theory by reconsidering one methodologically important case analyzed by Michael Horowitz: the diffusion of suicide terrorism. We show that, when addressing problems in Horowitz's research design, the case of suicide terrorism fails to support adoption capacity theory. We argue that, in order to account for the diffusion of this innovation, one needs to take into consideration the tactical incentives to overcome technologically superior enemies. The results of our quantitative and qualitative analyses suggest that terrorist groups fighting against very powerful states in terms of conventional capabilities are more likely to employ suicide attacks than those fighting against poorly equipped ones. Our findings are important because they provide systematic evidence in support of Kalyvas and Sanchez-Cuenca's argument that suicide terrorism is driven by tactical considerations and because they provide confidence in the external validity of Berman and Laitin's hardness of targets hypothesis. Our results also question Lyall and Wilson's finding that highly mechanized armies are inherently inadequate to win counterinsurgency operations. The superior conventional capabilities of a counterinsurgency army might in fact make traditional insurgent tactics ineffective and thus give insurgents an incentive to adopt suicide attacks
Business · Computer security · Criminology · Economics · Incentive · Law and economics · Microeconomics · Political science · Public relations · Sociology · Terrorism · Computer Science · Defense, Military, and Policy Studies · Law · Medicine · Political Conflict and Governance · Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence
Democratic Security Policy in Colombia
Women Suicide Terrorism
Why China Has Not Caught Up Yet
Engines of power
A comparison of global suicide terrorism by region before and after 9/11 terrorist attacks
We Have Captured Your Women”
Military adaptation and organisational convergence in war
Planes, Trains, and Armored Mobiles
The Rise and Spread of Suicide Bombing
Non-state actors and modern technology
| Unique citing works | 10 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0.91 |
| Citation span | 2015 - 2025 (11) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 9 |