A Theory of Organizational Resilience

Abstract

Chapter 2 develops a theory of organizational resilience that accounts for when decapitation is more or less likely to result in the decline or weakening of terrorist organizations. It argues that the efficacy of capturing or killing terrorist leaders is a function of three primary variables: the group’s bureaucracy, communal support, and ideology. Bureaucratized organizations will have an easier time reorganizing after the loss of their leaders. Groups with significant levels of communal support should have access to resources that allow them to withstand attacks and continue carrying out their activities. Finally, religious and separatist groups are more likely to be based upon an ideological belief and doctrine that emerge from local communities and are not dependent upon the leadership for their rearticulation and continuation.