Corporate espionage

Abstract

Espionage, whether conducted for economic or national security purposes, challenges society. Corporate espionage essentially describes illegal and unethical activities undertaken by organizations to systematically gather, analyze and manage information on competitors with the purpose of gaining a competitive edge in the market. Although the application of counter-intelligence measures can be effective, organizations often overlook the most significant and vulnerable aspect – the insider threat. This article attempts to explain espionage using a number of models demonstrating specific factors that cause individuals to engage in such acts. Corporate espionage, as unethical behaviour, is described from various perspectives such as the personality characteristics of employees, the organizational environment, the interaction between individual characteristics and the organizational environment, and the social interactions within the organization.