The essence of economic security is redrawing lines between the public and private sectors. The idea that ¡°economic security is national security¡± is not just a call for governments to account for more variables in their decision-making. It also requires corporate planners to do so as well, including, most basically, the long-term interests of the state in their thinking.
This is alien terrain for both. Economic orthodoxy demands that businesses focus on maximizing shareholder value and squeezing out every inefficiency that reduces the bottom line. Companies are not supposed to think of themselves as belonging to a particular country, but as agents for which national identity is irrelevant or, if that factor is important, then it is to be determined by impact on profits.
This has meant that corporate planners have focused on buying components and services at the lowest possible cost, avoiding unnecessary expenses and holding close information about supply chains as corporate intellectual property. They seek to engage with as many customers and collaborators as possible to maintain their competitive advantage.
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