MULTI-LEVEL HIERARCHICAL STRUCTURE OF ENTERPRISE ECONOMIC SECURITY AS A METHODOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK FOR ITS EVALUATION

Abstract

It is argued that the methodological backbone for assessing the degree of enterprise economic security is its hierarchical structure. The paper seeks to explore the existing approaches to building an enterprise economic security framework. It has been revealed that only few of them demonstrate a hierarchical structure, yet the existing hierarchies have certain limitations and offer areas for improvement. The purpose of the study is to develop a multi-level hierarchical structure of an enterprise economic security which, unlike the existing ones, would allow for a more objective assessment of the overall economic security as well as its separate elements with regard to both static and dynamic nature of economic security. To accomplish the objectives, the following research methods have been employed: generalization, reasoning, grouping – for analyzing various scholars’ views on the object of the study and drawing conclusions of the content analysis of primary sources; analysis and synthesis – for interpreting the main research categories and providing rationale for new elements of economic security. The paper provides insights to the principles of building a structure of enterprise economic security along with suggesting an improved hierarchical structure of the enterprise economic security model using the proposed multidimensional approach. The enterprise economic security concept is viewed from the two perspectives, in a wide and a narrow sense. An author's definition of an «enterprise» concept in a broad sense is provided. The broader interpretation of the enterprise economic security entails the aspects of stakeholders’ economic security affected by the economic security of the enterprise. The separate elements of the economic security of various groups of the enterprise stakeholders have been identified. The floating nature of the hierarchical structure of the enterprise economic security has been demonstrated. A particular case of the hierarchy that provides twelve levels of consecutive elements has been discussed. The proposed hierarchical structure of the enterprise economic security successfully accommodates its binary nature subject to its static and dynamic character. The findings verify that the suggested elements could be used to select indicators for assessing the overall economic security as well as its particular types. It is argued that the methodology for measuring the degree of enterprise economic security should rely on a comprehensive study of its elements and consistent integration of the results of their bottom-up assessment for each level of the hierarchical structure.