The purpose of this dissertation is to "lift the eyepatch" to visualize the different business models of piracy without self-imposed limitations, to lay the foundation for a more profound and comprehensive research approach. To overcome this blind spot, pirates are not morally judged for their criminal behavior but considered as equal entrepreneurs of the economy. Instead of insinuating pirates to rush at single hijackings to make quick money desperately, they are believed to run professional companies, which base on sophisticated and repeatable business models. This impartial assumption makes the topic assessable by macro- and microeconomic tools and models. Furthermore, this approach allows analyzing the subject from a pirate's perspective. From this opposite viewpoint, an economic assessment facilitates the identification of framework-factors, which have been responsible for the emergence and development of piracy in general. In a next step, the application of business models helps to reveal further relevant factors, which trigger the internal procedures of the piracy companies, running a business in the hotspots of South-East Asia, West Africa, and East Africa. These deduced elements will then be illustrated in an explorative qualitative cause and effect model, to visualize their interrelation and the corresponding processes between them, which ultimately lead to the feasibility-assessment of piracy businesses.
These visualized business models can be used as templates for further research objectives and enable academics to take the perspective of criminal entrepreneurs, to reveal new insights and weak-spots of illegal business models in general. These findings could be used to tighten effective counter-measures, which may not have been considered up to now. Metaphorically speaking, this dissertation aims at revealing the concealed treasure-map, which contains the "secret" core factors and processes determining the feasibility of the criminal business and thereby the ultimate rationale of the emergence of professional piracy per se.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
1.1 Problem Statement
1.2 Research Objectives
1.3 Limitations of the Research
2 Current State of Research
2.1 Academic Field of Maritime Piracy
2.2 Economics of Crime
2.3 Economics of Maritime Piracy
3 Methodology
3.1 Research Design
3.2 Data Collection
3.3 Data Modeling
4 Economic Perspective
4.1 Root Causes
4.1.1 Economic Dislocation
4.1.2 Weak Authorities
4.1.3 Social Acceptance
4.2 Process of Sophistication
4.2.1 Incorporation Approach
4.2.2 Implementation of Hierarchy
4.2.3 Initiation of Criminal Governance
4.3 Impact
4.3.1 Impact on the Maritime Industry
4.3.2 Regional Impact
4.3.3 Global Impact
4.4 Deduced Economic Factors
5 Business Perspective
5.1 South-East Asia: Grand Theft
5.1.1 PESTLE
5.1.1.1 Political
5.1.1.2 Economic
5.1.1.3 Social
5.1.1.4 Technological
5.1.1.5 Legal
5.1.1.6 Environmental
5.1.2 Canvas
5.1.2.1 Key Partners
5.1.2.2 Key Activities
5.1.2.3 Key Resources
5.1.2.4 Value Proposition
5.1.2.5 Customer Relationships
5.1.2.6 Channels
5.1.2.7 Customer Segments
5.1.2.8 Cost Structure
5.1.2.9 Revenue Streams
5.1.2.10 Canvas Business Model
5.2 West-Africa: Armed Robbery
5.2.1 PESTLE
5.2.1.1 Political
5.2.1.2 Economic
5.2.1.3 Social
5.2.1.4 Technological
5.2.1.5 Legal
5.2.1.6 Environmental
5.2.2 Canvas
5.2.2.1 Key Partners
5.2.2.2 Key Activities
5.2.2.3 Key Resources
5.2.2.4 Value Proposition
5.2.2.5 Customer Relationships
5.2.2.6 Channels
5.2.2.7 Customer Segments
5.2.2.8 Cost Structure
5.2.2.9 Revenue Streams
5.2.2.10 Canvas Business Model
5.3 East-Africa: Kidnapping for Ransom
5.3.1 PESTLE
5.3.1.1 Political
5.3.1.2 Economic
5.3.1.3 Social
5.3.1.4 Technological
5.3.1.5 Legal
5.3.1.6 Environmental
5.3.2 Canvas
5.3.2.1 Key Partners
5.3.2.2 Key Activities
5.3.2.3 Key Resources
5.3.2.4 Value Proposition
5.3.2.5 Customer Relationships
5.3.2.6 Channels
5.3.2.7 Customer Segments
5.3.2.8 Cost Structure
5.3.2.9 Revenue Streams
5.3.2.10 Canvas Business Model
5.4 Deduced Business Factors
6 PECOBUS Model
6.1 Causal Conception
6.2 iModeler Concept Maps
6.3 Plausibility Check
7 Conclusion
8 List of Cited Literature
Research Objectives and Themes
This dissertation aims to provide a deeper understanding of the business models of maritime piracy by analyzing the subject from the perspective of a criminal entrepreneur. By applying economic theories and business tools such as PESTLE and the Business Model Canvas, the research seeks to identify relevant framework factors and internal processes that determine the feasibility of piracy operations in South-East Asia, West Africa, and East Africa, ultimately creating an applicable model for further academic study and policy development.
- Equalization of piracy organizations with professional business structures.
- Comprehensive qualitative assessment of piracy hotspots using macro- and microeconomic tools.
- Development of explorative cause-and-effect models to visualize piracy business dynamics.
- Identification of core success factors and criminal governance structures in piracy.
- Comparative analysis of diverse piracy business models (Grand Theft, Armed Robbery, Kidnapping for Ransom).
Auszug aus dem Buch
1 Introduction
Maritime piracy is anecdotally known as the second-oldest business in the world. However, at least in the Western culture, a stereotyped pirate is not being thought of as a capable businessman but as a savage outlaw, handicapped by an eyepatch and concealing a mystic map with guidelines to his secret treasure. In fact, the opposite is true. Today, real piracy leaders are professional entrepreneurs, who established sophisticated business models and embedded their “piracy companies” in transnational criminal networks.
Although the various negative impacts of piracy are taken seriously and triggered a broad spectrum of research in diverse academic disciplines over the recent years, most studies tackle the subject only with a one-eyed retrospective focus. Probably due to prepossession, many piracy incidents seem to be discounted as scattered events, resulting from an act of desperation, carried out by humble amateurs. Furthermore, most studies take only one of the piracy hotspots as an independent subject into consideration for their differing research objectives. As a consequence, the academic field of piracy lacks a consistent approach, which applies the same set of assumptions and tools to the different piracy hotspots, to illustrate the diversity of the criminal business models and thereby the big picture of piracy itself. Metaphorically speaking, not pirates but many academics have been wearing an eyepatch during their investigations, probably limiting themselves in getting the full picture of the business and overlooking the underlying processes.
The purpose of this dissertation is to “lift the eyepatch” to visualize the different business models of piracy without self-imposed limitations, to lay the foundation for a more profound and comprehensive research approach. To overcome this blind spot, pirates are not morally judged for their criminal behavior but considered as equal entrepreneurs of the economy. Instead of insinuating pirates to rush at single hijackings to make quick money desperately, they are believed to run professional companies, which base on sophisticated and repeatable business models. This impartial assumption makes the topic assessable by macro- and microeconomic tools and models.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter introduces the core motivation of the research, which is to analyze piracy as a sophisticated business rather than a collection of desperate crimes, and outlines the problem statement and research objectives.
2 Current State of Research: This section reviews existing academic literature on maritime piracy, economics of crime, and relevant theories, identifying a research gap in treating piracy from a rational business perspective.
3 Methodology: The methodology chapter details the descriptive and explorative research design, including the application of PESTLE and Canvas tools, to analyze and visualize piracy business models.
4 Economic Perspective: This chapter analyzes the root causes of piracy, including economic dislocation, weak authorities, and social acceptance, establishing a theoretical foundation based on Rational Choice and Routine Activity Theory.
5 Business Perspective: This chapter provides a deep-dive analysis of three major piracy hotspots (SE Asia, West Africa, East Africa) using PESTLE and Canvas frameworks to document their unique business structures and operational differences.
6 PECOBUS Model: This chapter presents the causal conception and visualization of the piracy business models, utilizing iModeler to create cause-and-effect maps that assess the feasibility of piracy.
7 Conclusion: The conclusion summarizes the key findings and highlights how treating pirates as rational entrepreneurs provides new insights for developing effective counter-measures.
8 List of Cited Literature: This section provides a comprehensive list of all academic, institutional, and media sources referenced throughout the dissertation.
Key Terms
Maritime Piracy, Business Models, Economic Dislocation, Weak Authorities, Rational Choice Theory, Routine Activity Theory, PESTLE Analysis, Business Model Canvas, Criminal Networks, Kidnapping for Ransom, Armed Robbery, Grand Theft, PECOBUS Model, Causal Modeling, Deterrence.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The research focuses on analyzing maritime piracy hotspots by treating piracy syndicates as professional businesses rather than desperate criminal groups, applying economic models to understand their operational feasibility.
Which key areas of piracy are analyzed?
The study examines three distinct piracy hotspots: South-East Asia (Grand Theft), West Africa (Armed Robbery), and East Africa (Kidnapping for Ransom).
What is the primary objective of the work?
The objective is to "lift the eyepatch" of academic research, using economic and business tools to reveal the sophisticated internal and external processes that govern modern piracy.
What methodology does the author use?
The author uses a combination of descriptive and explorative methods, applying macro-economic PESTLE analysis and micro-economic Business Model Canvas (CANVAS) to document piracy models and iModeler for causal mapping.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main body covers the root causes of piracy, the process of sophistication in criminal enterprises, the regional and global impacts of these crimes, and detailed business model templates for the three identified hotspots.
What are the primary keywords associated with this thesis?
Key terms include maritime piracy, rational choice theory, routine activity theory, PESTLE, Business Model Canvas, criminal governance, and feasibility assessment.
How does the author define piracy in the context of business?
Piracy is defined as a professional, repeatable business activity managed by entrepreneurs who weigh costs (like detection probability and potential punishment) against rewards (like ransom or stolen cargo).
What role does corruption play in these business models?
Corruption is identified as a critical factor that facilitates "business operations," as it undermines judicial effectiveness, reduces the risk of prosecution, and provides access to informants and corrupt officials.
- Quote paper
- Hans-Christian Stockfisch (Author), 2017, Lifting the Eyepatch. The Business Models of Piracy, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/960487
