Abstract:
Consisting of a 30-min. video mini-documentary and an 11-page backgrounder, this case explores the innovative approach used by the Coast Guard to manage the process of developing new regulations that would increase port security in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks.
The video includes five 4-6 min. segments that can be used in sequence or separately. It focuses on Coast Guard Captain Suzanne Englebert, the staff point-person who volunteered to lead the effort, detailing how she went about implementing that task. Through interviews with Capt. Englebert and other members of the port security network, combined with footage of the Coast Guard in action, it describes her collaborative approach to the challenge of changing a complex system with hundreds of private organizations and scores of government agencies operating at different levels to meet the mandate of the then newly passed Maritime Transportation Security Act (2002). The backgrounder provides students with detailed information about the challenges inherent in tightening port security, including the economic import of maritime trade, the range of conditions of US ports, the nature of international shipping and regulation, the particular problems posed by containerized shipping, and the kinds of terrorist attacks foreseen by security experts.
While the written case and video were designed to be used together, it is also possible to use either one alone.
Learning Objective:
Meant for a strategic management class, this casechallenges students to weigh an array of political, practical, legal, and technical considerations in assessing Englebert's approach.
