The social structure of the market for force
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 8912347 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Ulrich Petersohn (0000-0002-2423-5264, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2014 |
| Volume | 50 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 269-285 |
| Publication date | 2014-08-21 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Cooperation and Conflict (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0010-8367 • E-ISSN: 1460-3691 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/0010836714545686 |
| OpenAlex | W2326733662 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 23 |
Over the past two decades, governments have increasingly contracted private military and security companies (PMSCs) to support military operations in conflicts. However, many observers have argued that such companies are ‘greedy market actors’ or ‘reckless mercenaries’ and their level of performance very poor. A minority has defended them as security professionals. If market competition is present, the level of performance is high and positive contributions to the client’s military operation can be expected. However, neither PMSC opponents nor proponents can account for the variance in the level of performance in three crucial cases – Sierra Leone, Iraq, and Afghanistan. This article argues that different market structures explain this variance. At least three ideal configurations exist: collaborative, competitive, and rival structures. These structures influence the level of performance. PMSC performance levels are expected to decrease from the first configuration, being positive, to the last, being negative
Business · Competition (biology · Development economics · Economics · Ideal (ethics · Industrial organization · Market structure · Political economy · Political science · Sierra leone · Variance (accounting · Defense, Military, and Policy Studies · Law · Military and Defense Studies · Military History and Strategy
Mercenaries
Shadow States and the Political Economy of Civil Wars
The Market for Force
The Architecture of Markets
The Dilemmas of Statebuilding
Corporate Warriors
The Other Side of the Coin
Private military force and challenges for the future
Reputation and Coalitions in Medieval Trade
Counter-insurgency in Rhodesia
Private Armies and Military Intervention
What is a Market? On the Methodology of a Contested Concept
War, Markets, and the Reconfiguration of West Africa's Weak States
The F-Connection
Private security forces and African stability
The Sociology of Markets
The social order of markets
| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,33 |
| Citation span | 2017 - 2020 (4) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 3 |