The Role of Organizational Culture in Nuclear Security

In this chapter, the authors discuss the importance of a strong security culture within the nuclear enterprise. Indian author N.K. Joshi argues that culture is a combination of values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors shared among an organization’s members and supported by its leaders. A strong security culture is one that is able to develop and maintain a close partnership between nuclear scientists and engineers and security professionals. U.S. authors Cristina Fekkes Lussier and Karen Kaldenbach argue that organizational culture consists of attitudes, values, and behaviors critical to operational success. They offer a detailed discussion of the Y-12 security breach and the corrective actions taken in its aftermath to demonstrate the vital importance of culture within the nuclear enterprise.