Cultural theory and the security fraternity

Abstract

There is an ongoing debate on the importance and meaning of organisational culture. Comprehending the prevailing organisational culture is crucial for organisations that need to change and/or launch new projects. This especially applies to the security industry which is constantly faced with new challenges in a national and international realm. This paper uses an anthropological approach to propose an organisational structure best suited for the private security industry. A major South African security company is analyzed in terms of the grid group (GG) or cultural theory. This framework originated in the study of anthropology, originally developed by the British anthropologist Mary Douglas (1970, 1978).