The CSO Roundtable has offered to assist a doctoral researcher with a paper on leadership complexity and how convergence of logical and physical security affects organizational culture. The Roundtable encourages Security Blog readers to contact the researcher if you can help.

His name is Edward Coufal, a Doctoral learner with Capella University, who is seeking permission to conduct research of 20 Chief Security Officers, who are members of ASIS International. The purpose of this research will be to describe the Chief Security Officer experience with leadership complexity and how convergence of Information Technology (IT) and Physical Security (PS) affects organizational culture. The intent to recruit ASIS International members for participation in my study is because membership with ASIS signifies commitment to uphold industry standards and ethics. The study criteria for participation have been predetermined as (Creswell, 2007; Miles & Huberman, 1994):

Chief Security Officer or equivalents from public, private, or government sectors.

In an organization of 50, or more personnel.

English speaking.

Possess a minimum of six months experience in present position.

Possess a minimum of four-year security related experience (Either IT, PS, or combination

of both).

Minimum of 18 years of age and no maximum age prescribed.

Under going, or has gone through convergence of IT and PS.

Member of ASIS International Security Association.

The key ingredient is participants must have experienced, or are experiencing convergence of IT and PS because the nature of qualitative phenomenological research examines the event through the participant's eyes (Moustakas, 1994).

Volunteer CSO participants will be asked to participate in a 60 - 90 minutes guided and recorded telephone interview. Participant identity, questions, and concerns will be kept confidential and protected from disclosure. Interviews will be recorded with participant consent, and transcribed by me for participant review. If at any time the participant feels pressured to participate, has any questions about their rights as a research participant or concerns about the research process, or if they would like to discuss an unanticipated problem related to the research, they can contact the Capella Human Research Protections Office at 1-888-227-3552, extension 4716.