Date of Conferral

2-27-2025

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Management

Advisor

Elizabeth Thompson

Abstract

Cyberterrorism jeopardizes national security and fiscal systems and its potential gains and risks to public safety. U.S. corporate and government leaders must understand the ineffective collaboration to mitigate cyberterrorism risks. The purpose of this qualitative e-Delphi study was to develop information that may reveal a consensus among a panel of corporate cybersecurity experts as to the elements of an appropriate and feasible forward-looking collaborative model between U.S. corporate and government leaders for mitigating the risks of cyberterrorism. The research questions were used to gather experts’ perceptions on the solutions or deterrents to collaboration across the public and private sectors. Pruitt-Mentle’s C3 framework grounded this study. Data collection consisted of a survey sent to 49 participants in round one and 30 in round two. Survey rounds consisted of questions on desirability, feasibility, and the importance of elements for a collaborative model. The data analysis techniques were exploratory and thematic. Themes emerged, and open-ended questions led to additional exploratory questions for future research. The four findings showed (a) consensus among private and public sector leaders of a collaborative framework for cybersecurity, (b) agreement of the elements necessary surfaced among all leaders, (c) difficulty with privacy in attempts to collaborate with others, and (d) consensus regarding next steps to build a forward-thinking model. The findings may be significant and affect positive social change in practices and policies in the public and private sectors, as it is imperative that private leaders work with public leaders to safeguard shared values and the U.S. infrastructure.

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