scholarly journals Grafting: “the boyz” just doing business? Deviant entrepreneurship in street gangs

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 54-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Francis Hesketh ◽  
Grace Robinson
Keyword(s):  
Organised Crime ◽  
Street Gangs ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Night Time ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Young Males ◽  
Gang Interventions ◽  
Interpretive Method ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Phd Thesis

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to attempt to disseminate street gang research by Hesketh (2018) that has identified young people’s perceptions between employment and criminality in areas of Merseyside becoming blurred. In particular, disenfranchised young males are turning to involvement with drug dealing street gangs as a substitute for employment. Design/methodology/approach The research involved the use of a hybrid design using an adapted version of Wengraf’s (2001) biographic narrative interpretive method as the means for data collection with Strauss and Corbin’s (1995) grounded theory approach as the means of analysis. Findings Such is the demand for Class A drugs in night-time economies that street gangs in areas close to such economies are adding a dark business-like dimension for which Hesketh (2018) has termed “Deviant Entrepreneurship”. This can range from selling drugs on behalf of adult organised crime figures (known on the streets of Liverpool as “grafting”) to self-employment as sole trading deviant group enterprises having several “grafts” that recent research by Robinson, McLean and Densley (2018) has noted, has extended into the annals of Criminal Child Exploitation. Research limitations/implications Data were derived from a sample of young males, thus, no observations can be made about females involved in gangs. Practical implications The research highlights the need for more gang interventions that focus on building opportunities within marginalised areas. It also suggests as Andell (2019) points out a need for a fresh approach to countering gang culture. Social implications The paper concludes by suggesting that Merseyside is only one in many marginalised areas of the UK facing a similar problem as young people involved in street gangs attempt to realise their potential not through legitimate employment means but through dark entrepreneurial techniques learnt from older peers and adult figures. Originality/value The findings are taken from a PhD thesis by Robert F. Hesketh University of Chester.

The spatiality of men who go missing on a night out

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-166
Author(s):  
Geoff Newiss ◽  
Ian Greatbatch
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Geographical Area ◽  
Personal Characteristics ◽  
Search Strategies ◽  
Night Time ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Search Heuristics ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Almost All

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to quantify the risk of fatality for men who are reported missing following a night out. Additionally, the paper aimed to develop search heuristics to inform the development of search strategies, through an examination of the key geographical points involved in these cases. Design/methodology/approach Cases were identified, and data collected, from online media sources supplemented with a request to UK police forces and a search of the UK Missing Persons Unit database. In total, 96 cases which occurred over a five-and-a-half-year period in the UK were included. The study compares the profile of fatalities that result from disappearances occurring in different types of geographical area. Location data were georeferenced allowing Euclidean distances between geographical locations to be generated. Findings In total, 60 per cent of disappearances lasting longer than 48 h resulted in fatality, rising to almost all cases after three days missing. In 89 per cent of cases bodies are recovered from water; 11 per cent on land after the individual died from a fall, hypothermia or a drugs overdose. Practical implications Search strategies can be informed by a consideration of the type of area the person was socialising (high night-time economy through to rural areas) and the geography of subsequent sightings. Originality/value In focusing on the specific circumstances of a disappearance rather than an individual’s personal characteristics, the paper offers an innovative approach to understanding risk (i.e. what is the likelihood of a particular outcome occurring) and the development of heuristics for search strategies in missing person cases.

scholarly journals “Coke on Tick”: exploring the cocaine market in the UK through the lens of financial management

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Hall ◽  
Georgios A. Antonopoulos
Keyword(s):  
Financial Management ◽  
Capital Investment ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Organised Crime ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Number Of Factors ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Different Sources ◽  
Integral Feature

Purpose This paper aims to offer detailed preliminary data and analysis that focuses specifically on the structures and financial aspects of the UK cocaine market. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based on in-depth interviews with – among others – four active criminal entrepreneurs involved in powder cocaine supply in the UK. Furthermore, along with a review of relevant literature and open sources, in-depth interviews were undertaken with a range of experts with knowledge of the cocaine market. These experts include law enforcement agents and independent academics/researchers who have researched the cocaine market in the UK and internationally. Findings The cocaine market is a fragmented business dependent on networks of individual entrepreneurs and groups. At the core of collaborations often lie family, ethnic or kinship relationships and relationships forged within legal businesses and in prison. Capital investment practices in this market are flexible, “messy” and mutating, and money comes from a range of different sources. Credit is an integral feature of the cocaine business in the UK. The financial management of the cocaine trade is a result of (and reflects) a number of factors, such as the fragmented and decentralised nature of the trade. Originality/value Empirical research into financial aspects of organised crime manifestations is important for the assumptions that are part of public debate to be tested. In addition, understanding the broader range of financial aspects of organised crime is an important component of the process of crimes for gain and can contribute to both better investigation and better prevention.

Organised crime goes online: realities and challenges

2015 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anita Lavorgna
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Organised Crime ◽  
Research Field ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Internet Crime ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Police Records ◽  
The Uk

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to provide an empirically based description of how the Internet is exploited by different types of organised crime groups (OCGs), ranging from Italian mafia-style groups to looser gangs. Design/methodology/approach – The article relies on a dataset collected from mid-2011 to mid-2013 and, specifically, on semi-structured interviews to law enforcement officials and acknowledged experts in Italy, the UK, the USA and The Netherlands; judicial transcripts; police records; and media news. Findings – This article provides an account of the main scope for which the Internet has been used for various criminal activities traditionally associated with the organised crime rhetoric, first and foremost, cross-border trafficking activities. This study also discusses some current legal and policy approaches to deal with OCGs operating online. Originality/value – This contribution addresses an under-investigated research field and aims to foster a reflection on the opportunity to integrate Internet crime research, and even more Internet crime investigations, into the everyday routines of criminologists, analysts and law enforcement officers.

scholarly journals How leaders manage their business models using information

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 150-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brett Parnell ◽  
Merlin Stone ◽  
Eleni Aravopoulou
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Business Model ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Large Firms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Theoretical Contribution ◽  
Sector Decision ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Current Business

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore the information leaders keep their organisations competitive by determining if their business model is under threat and/or needs changing and whether business model innovation is needed. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a grounded theory approach to probe an area which has been so far researched very little. Findings The paper identifies that while quality of management information affects leaders’ decisions about whether their business model is under threat or needs changing, leaders may or may not choose to use it. Research limitations/implications The research was carried out with large firms in six sectors in the UK. Research in other sectors, in smaller firms and in other countries, should be carried out to test generalisability. Practical implications Although many large firms have made very large investments into areas such as customer insight in the past few years, there may be resistance to using this information even if it indicates that a firm’s current business model is under threat, because of straightforward denial or because of the inertia associated with factors such as difficulties in changing business models or the extent to which the firm’s financial situation is based upon exploiting its current business model, no matter how much that model is under threat from firms with other business models. Therefore, in strategic reviews, firms should factor in these risks and seek to mitigate them. Social implications In public sector organisations, these risks of denial or inertia may be stronger because of conservatism and lack of willingness to take the risks of change, so public sector decision makers need to be particularly aware of these risks and seek to mitigate them. Originality/value The theoretical contribution of this research is to add to business model and strategic management literature by explaining the role that information plays in business model choice and how its role depends on whether and how the information is used by senior management.

scholarly journals Diverting young men from gangs: a qualitative evaluation

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (5) ◽  
pp. 887-900
Author(s):  
Laura Jane Boulton ◽  
Rebecca Phythian ◽  
Stuart Kirby
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Young People ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Preventive Intervention ◽  
Qualitative Evaluation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Organised Crime ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Uk

Purpose Serious organised crime (SOC) costs the UK billions of pounds every year and is associated with significant negative health, social and well-being outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate whether young people can be diverted from involvement in SOC using preventive intervention approaches. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative thematic analysis was conducted on data collected from semi-structured interviews with practitioners involved in a six-month intervention which specifically aimed to divert “at risk” young people away from SOC involvement. Findings Themes arising from the analysis are: risk and vulnerability factors associated with young people involved in organised crime; what worked well during this intervention; what outcomes, both hard and soft, were generated; as well as, the specific challenges to the success of preventive programmes’ success. Practical implications Overall, the study highlights the problematic nature of diverting “at risk” youths from SOC and provides recommendations for future preventive intervention work in the field of SOC. Specifically, it suggests that longer-term interventions, targeted at younger children, may generate better behavioural outcomes if they focus on building trusting relationships with credible support workers (i.e. have lived experience of SOC). Originality/value With a growing body of evidence suggesting that young people are being increasingly exploited for organised criminal purposes, an approach which prevents involvement in SOC makes theoretical and economic sense. However, little research has empirically tested its utility in practice. This study seeks to address this gap.

scholarly journals Using the UK general offender database as a means to measure and analyse organized crime

2016 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 78-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stuart Kirby ◽  
Brian Francis ◽  
Les Humphreys ◽  
Keith Soothill
Keyword(s):  
Organized Crime ◽  
Organised Crime ◽  
Demographic Variables ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Uk ◽  
First Time

Purpose – Organised Crime is notoriously difficult to identify and measure, resulting in limited empirical evidence to inform policy makers and practitioners. The purpose of this paper is to explore the feasibility of identifying a greater number of organised crime offenders, currently captured but invisible, within existing national general crime databases. Design/methodology/approach – All 2.1 million recorded offenders, captured over a four-year period on the UK Police National Computer, were filtered across three criteria associated with organised crime (co-offending, commission of specific offences, three years imprisonment or more). The 4,109 “organized crime” offenders, identified by the process, were compared with “general” and “serious” offender control groups across a variety of personal and demographic variables. Findings – Organised crime prosecutions are not random but concentrate in specific geographic areas and constitute 0.2 per cent of the offender population. Offenders can be differentiated from general crime offenders on such measures as: diversity of nationality and ethnicity, onset age, offence type and criminal recidivism. Research limitations/implications – Using an offence-based methodology, rather than relying on offenders identified through police proactive investigations, can provide empirical information from existing data sets, across a diverse range of legislative areas and cultures. This allows academics to enhance their analysis of organised crime, generating richer evidence on which policy makers and practitioners can more effectively deliver preventative and disruptive tactics. Originality/value – This is the first time an “offence based” methodology has been used to differentiate organised crime offenders from other offenders in a general crime database.

An exploration into the career experiences of lesbians in the UK

2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 281-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra L. Fielden ◽  
Hannah Jepson
Keyword(s):  
Career Development ◽  
Gender And Sexuality ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Career Experiences ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Personal Resource ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Grounded Theory Approach

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the experiences of lesbians in terms of career progression and development, focusing on several areas including, discrimination in the workplace, career resources, barriers to career development and the importance of disclosing one’s sexual identity in the workplace. Design/methodology/approach Interviews were conducted with 15 participants, 14 of whom had disclosed their sexuality at work. A grounded theory approach was used to conduct the analysis, and the findings suggested six core categories relating to the career experiences of the sample. These categories are: social climate; career choice; work environment; personality; being a lesbian and being a woman; and useful strategies. Findings The analysis highlighted several key findings, such as the importance of the relationship between gender and sexuality; the importance of working within a policy-driven environment such as the public sector; the importance of personality and the modification of behaviour as a personal resource for lesbians in the workplace. The research also highlighted the fact that discrimination still occurs at work but manifests itself in different and often more subtle ways and it was reported that, despite protective legislation, one of the greatest challenges for lesbians is working within a heterosexist and heteronormative environment. Originality/value There is a great deal of research dedicated to women’s career development but less on certain subgroups of women and even less on the career development of lesbians in organisations, and it is the aim of this paper to address the lack of research pertaining to the careers of lesbians in the UK.

Youth in the UK: 99 problems but the gang ain ' t one?

2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah Smithson ◽  
Rob Ralphs
Keyword(s):  
Youth Violence ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Youth Gangs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
What Works ◽  
Gang Interventions ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Gang Policy

Purpose – At a time when youth gangs and gang policy feature significantly in the discourse on UK youth, it is judicious to critique the framework and evidence upon which these policy developments have originated. The political focus on gangs was heightened, in part, by the English riots in 2011. The reaction to the riots was a “concerted all-out war on gangs” and led to the development of the national Ending Gangs and Youth Violence (EGYV) strategy. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – The authors use Manchester as a case study to illustrate what the they argue to be the misplaced focus of the current EGYV strategy and provide a detailed critique of the strategy to date. Findings – The paper suggests that government funded gang interventions are currently bereft of a “what works” approach and should only be implemented when the authors have significantly developed the knowledge and understanding of gangs in a local context. Originality/value – The paper calls for a stronger evidence based policy approach to tackling gangs.

“I don’t really like the pub […]”: reflections on young people and pre-loading alcohol

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 58-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrian Barton ◽  
Kerryn Husk
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
External Control ◽  
Private Sphere ◽  
Drinking Patterns ◽  
Night Time ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public Sphere ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
The Uk

Purpose – Recent research (Barton and Husk, 2012) suggested that in the UK we are seeing a shift from the traditional “pub-club” drinking pattern to a “home-pub-club” pattern. In the latter model often excessive early evening drinking is occurring in the private sphere in the absence of external control, leading to problems when the drinkers enter the public sphere. Moreover, pre-loading has become a key aspect in the drinking patterns of many of the Night Time Economy (NTE) population with around 60-70 per cent of people drinking some alcohol prior to going out. In the previous work (Barton and Husk, 2012) 50 per cent of people were drinking significant quantities of alcohol prior to entering the NTE. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – However, whilst these statistics give a general overview of patterns of drinking, they fail to provide the depth required to uncover potential mechanisms. It is generally assumed that the driving force behind this cultural shift in alcohol use is price. However, the feeling is that this is too simplistic. To explore this, the authors conducted a set of in-depth qualitative interviews with young people to ascertain why pre-loading is such an entrenched aspect of their drinking culture (n=20). Findings – This paper provides the preliminary findings of that research. It shows, amongst other things, that beyond the price factor many young people seemingly need alcohol to cope with the NTE; that they prefer the safety and control of the environment that drinking in the private sphere provides; and that some of them (despite drinking alcohol) simply do not like pubs. Originality/value – The paper adds to the discourse on pre-loading by suggesting richly described underlying mechanisms of action.

scholarly journals Businesses and mobile social media capability

2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (8) ◽  
pp. 971-981 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elvira Bolat ◽  
Kaouther Kooli ◽  
Len Tiu Wright
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Mobile Devices ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organisational Knowledge ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Business To Business ◽  
Grounded Theory Approach

Purpose Mobile social media (MSM), an interaction, exchange of information and creation of user-generated content, mediated by mobile devices, is becoming the locomotive that drives forward evolution of the online world. Fewer academic studies have touched upon the MSM subject, with all the papers being of a conceptual nature to provide recommendations to business-to-business (B2B) firms. This paper aims to explore how B2B firms use MSM in reality. Design/methodology/approach This paper adopts the grounded theory approach to analyse interviews conducted in 26 B2B firms representing the UK advertising and marketing sector. Interviewees represent key decision-makers who understand the aspects of mobile technology use in their firms. Eighteen firms stressed the importance of social media as a trigger to adopt mobile devices. Follow-up data collection in these 18 firms focus on strategic orientation, processes, routines and skills required for using MSM. Findings This paper found that marketing and advertising firms use MSM for branding, sensing market, managing relationships and developing content. MSM is treated by businesses as a strategic firm-specific capability that drives firms’ competitiveness, where imitation of such capability by competitors is limited because MSM skills are specific to individuals within organisations and MSM routines are manifested as a result of firm-specific MSM skills’ interactions. Originality/value This study is amongst the first to provide insights into B2B firms’ practices of using MSM. Additionally, the research is novel because it discovers that MSM capability is developed as a result of the overlap between individuals’ and organisational knowledge and memory, contradicting existing theory on the subject.

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