Profiling the Management of Organised Crime: Evidence of a Qualitative Research

Abstract

Abstract The current paper deals with a rarely studied subject in the Romanian academic field, that of developing a profile of organized crime entities. The aim of the paper is to present the findings of a qualitative indepth-interview based research that was designed (using 11 specific objectives and 15 interviews) to identify how criminal entities are organized in the sense of structure, communication, hierarchy levels, member recruitment etc. The qualitative research was applied to law enforcement employees, prosecutors (former and active ones) and active and former members of organized crime that can help achieve the research objectives. Being structured in several sections (literature review, research methodology, research findings, conclusions and discussions) the current article represents the first step in understanding the way criminal entities are being organized and if the organizational method and management style mach that of economic (legal organized) entities. The results of the research and using as backround the literature review, have generated several interesting future hypothesis regarding the organization of criminal entities that can and are being tested with the help of a quantitative research method in an attempt to identify the best methods and strategies that the law enforcement entities can use to combat illegal activities.