E-Documentation Management for Enhanced Airport Security

The assignment content discusses the importance of well-managed processes in updating airport security systems. It highlights the need for clear background data and training to ensure that personnel are equipped to handle various scenarios effectively. The content also emphasizes the significance of verifying the authenticity of documents and detecting potential threats at the early stages. Furthermore, it provides qualitative and quantitative questions to assess the effectiveness of the airport security apparatus.

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
The importance of security information in the electronic travel document to combat terrorism- MBA
Dissertation Report
1

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
Abstract:
The global security of the day has undergone a rapid and diverse change in last decade post
26/11. The E-verification of the processes has been enabled globally to let the people working in
the security apparatus be attached to each other. Hence the people who did let the security risks
keep at bay are the security officers of the Airport of Oman. Their training and the quality of
techniques ensures that the nation keeps its peace and security without any threat from outside
world. The E-documentation has let the people and process go hand in hand together to have
given the security the competence and agility to fight the modern day threats the way it should
be.
2

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
Table of Contents
Abstract:...........................................................................................................................................2
CHAPTER 1: Introduction..............................................................................................................6
Research Background:.................................................................................................................6
Research Problem:.......................................................................................................................7
Research Significance:.................................................................................................................8
Research Aims & Objectives:......................................................................................................9
Research Questions:...................................................................................................................10
CHAPTER 2: Review of Related Literature.................................................................................12
Introduction................................................................................................................................12
Global terrorism and its impacts................................................................................................12
Terrorism prevalence in Oman..................................................................................................16
Role of lack of security measures in terrorism activities...........................................................20
Old readable travel documents and their security features........................................................23
Electronic travel documents and their security features............................................................27
Role of International Civil Aviation Organization in security policy.......................................27
Conclusion.................................................................................................................................29
CHAPTER 3: Methodology..........................................................................................................30
Introduction................................................................................................................................30
Research Approach....................................................................................................................30
3

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
Research Philosophy..................................................................................................................30
Research Methods......................................................................................................................31
Qualitative Method................................................................................................................31
Quantitative Method..............................................................................................................32
Data Analysis Methods..............................................................................................................33
Qualitative Analysis...............................................................................................................33
Quantitative Analysis.............................................................................................................33
Conclusion.................................................................................................................................33
Chapter 4........................................................................................................................................34
Project Management......................................................................................................................34
Gathering Information Security.....................................................................................................34
Project description.........................................................................................................................39
Chapter 5........................................................................................................................................44
Presentation and Analysis of Data.................................................................................................44
Analysis of the Data.......................................................................................................................45
The Primary Data...........................................................................................................................46
Secondary Data..............................................................................................................................50
Pilot Study.....................................................................................................................................51
Sample Selection...........................................................................................................................51
Chapter 6........................................................................................................................................53
4

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
Conclusions and Recommendations..............................................................................................53
Reflection.......................................................................................................................................54
Appendix 1.....................................................................................................................................56
Appendix 2.....................................................................................................................................57
References:....................................................................................................................................59
5

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
CHAPTER 1: Introduction
This is the first chapter of the dissertation that introduces the topic to the readers. It contains of
information on the subject of the study, research background, research problem, research
significance, research aims and objectives and research questions. The discussion in this section
is based on the importance of security information in the electronic travel documents and the
ways in which it helps to combat terrorism on a global scale. However, the study has focused on
the aspects in terms of the situation in Oman.
Research Background:
This research study has been executed for assessing the importance of ensuring authentic
security information stored in the electronic travel documents for the travelers and passengers
entering into Oman from other countries. This is necessary to combat terrorism and other acts of
crime and violence that have affected Oman in the past, taking place today and might happen in
future as well. The acts of terrorism are to be countered effectively in order to offer safety and
security to the people of the country (Fan, et al., 2008). Terrorism has been a global cause of
concern that needs to be tackled effectively in order to prevent or mitigate substantial damages to
life and property. The majority of the terrorist activities are carried out by people travelling
across borders with forged documents such as passports which are fake and do not reflect the
true identity of the traveler. The terrorists utilize this strategy to travel between several countries.
Previously, the movement of terrorists across borders was easier during the time of the old
readable passports and other travel documents (Gemalto NV, 2019). Nowadays, the electronic
travel documents such as the electronic passports are considered as more safe and secure
travelling documents because information content in the electronic travel documents are
6

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
encrypted and they are made using technologies that prevent them from being counterfeited. So,
like in several other countries, Omani government has been promoting and advocating the user
electronic travel documents by all the travelers entering into the country or leaving the country.
The modern terrorist outfits have access to funds and resources for conducting activities of
terrorism through utilization of improvised weapons such as the Weapons of mass destruction.
They can create a massive havoc within Oman if proper security measures are not implemented
by the border security forces and the airport authorities. Hence, this research study has evaluated
the significance of security information within the electronic travel documents that are currently
being used by travelers in Oman which has increased the safety and security measures
considerably by making it difficult for the terrorists and people with harmful intentions to engage
in forgery of their travel documents which are highly encrypted nowadays (Bozhkova, et al.,
2017).
Research Problem:
The research problem that has been examined in this study encompasses the increasing acts of
terrorism on a global scale and the role played by ineffective security measures that fail to
effectively check the authenticity of personal security information of the various tourists and
travelers travelling between countries. The problem is pertinent for Oman also. The incidents of
terrorism and other acts of violence have become a concerning issue for the country. There have
been previous incidents where Oman has been the victim of terrorism that has been undertaken
by terrorist outfits that have infiltrated the border due to several security lapses (BOROTA, n.d.).
Previously, the old readable passports were being used by the travelers arriving into Oman from
different parts of the world. These readable passports were easily counterfeited and forged by the
perpetrators and often due to the absence of modern high quality of security information
7

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
checking it was easy for the terrorists to furnish fake passports at the borders or at the security
checking of the airports in Oman. This has caused various incidents of terrorist activities in
Oman. With globalization there has been a rapid growth and development of technology across
diversified sectors including border control and airport security sector. Nowadays, the travelers
have to provide electronic travel documents while travelling from one country into another. This
is true for Oman also. The electronic travel documents highly safe and secure and they content
actual and authentic security information about a person that is digitally encrypted in such a way
that it cannot be replicated or tampered with. This technology has been instrumental in
enhancing the safety and security of the country from threats of terrorism (United Nations,
2018).
Research Significance:
The research study that has been conducted in order to determine the effectiveness of
information security in digital travel documents in preventing acts of terrorism in Oman has a
larger significance. The research has examined the utilization of modern electronic travel
documents replacing the old readable travel documents and determined the degree of safety and
security that is offered by the digital travel documents over their predecessors (US Department of
State, 2019). With the growth and development in technology around the world across several
domains, it is only obvious that technology has influenced safety and security systems around the
world. Terrorism is growing around the world as the terrorist outfits are becoming more potent in
terms of access to funding and state-of-the-art technologies that it has being deployed by them to
infiltrate into different countries by concealing their identity and use modern arms and
ammunitions such as Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and weapons of mass destruction
such as biological warfare. So it has become even more important for the countries around the
8

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
world, including Oman to stand well-prepared in this situation to detect security information
frauds that are undertaken through providing fake travel documents such as passports by the
perpetrators. The advent of electronic travel documents such as electronic passports has
mitigated the possibilities of forging personal identity by developing fake travel documents such
as replicated or copied old readable passports. From this perspective the research study can be
considered to be of substantial significance for the readers to understand the utility of encryption
and protection of personal information within the travel documents that prevent the terrorists
from creating counterfeit travel documents and enter into Oman without the possibility of being
detected by the border security forces as well as the airport authorities (BOROTA, n.d.).
Research Aims & Objectives:
The aim of the research study has been to determine the significance of security information in
electronic travel documents for combating terrorism successfully in Oman. In other words, the
study has analyzed the various positive influences of the electronic travel documents like the
electronic passports over that of the old readable passports that are no longer being used in
Oman. The research has identified the utility of secure personal information contained in the
modern electronic travel documents that are being provided by the foreign travelers and tourists
at the time of entering into Oman that has reduced the threat of terrorism significantly over the
years.
The research had the following objectives to achieve:
 To understand the importance of security information within the electronic travel
documents for combating terrorism.
 To form a theoretical basis on the various techniques being used by the terrorists to forge
electronic documents such as electronic passports.
9

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
 To determine the differences between old readable passports and modern electronic
passports from the perspective of protection of security information within such
documents.
 To analyze the role played by organizations such as the International Civil Aviation
Organization (ICAO) in developing principles and protocols related to security
information within travel documents that need to be carried mandatorily by any person
willing to engage in cross border travel.
 To examine the security effectiveness of the modern electronic travel documents as
compared to the ones that were developed few years back in terms of preventing forgery
and counterfeiting of such electronic documents.
 To conduct the study with the objective of understanding the current situation of
electronic information security in respect of travelers moving from one country to another
and effectiveness of the roles played by various governments and aviation organizations
around the world to ensure the authenticity of the electronic information present in the
travel documents furnished by the tourist at the airports and other institutions.
 To recommend some of the modern electronic tools and techniques for ensuring
enhanced safety and security of the electronic traveling documents by preventing those
from being duplicated or forged by terrorists and also offer preventive suggestions to the
airport authorities to effectively detect counterfeit travel documents.
Research Questions:
The research has answered the following questions:
 What is an electronic travel document?
10

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
 How electronic travel documents ensure the security of the travelers moving from one
country to another?
 What are the advantages of electronic travel documents over the old readable travel
documents?
 To what extent have the electronic travel documents enhanced the security of the nations
from terrorism activities?
 What is the role played by organizations such as the International Civil Aviation
Organization in formulating security policies related to travel documents?
 What future strategies can be undertaken by the countries in order to enhance the security
of the electronic travel documents to prevent acts of terrorism?
11

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
CHAPTER 2: Review of Related Literature
Introduction
This chapter elicits the findings from a comprehensive review of literature sources depicting the
importance of security information that are stored in the modern electronic travel documents and
the ways in which it impacts terrorism. The analysis has been done on several valuable sources
of information from journals, reports, website and newspaper articles containing several
information on the themes like the impacts of global terrorism, the situation of terrorism in Oman
and its impacts, the part played by unsatisfactory security measures in increasing chances of
terrorism, the old readable travel documents and their limitations in security, the modern
electronic travel documents and their benefits on security, the part played by border security in
preventing unauthorized infiltration and the significance of organizations such as the
International Civil Aviation Organization in implementing security policies.
Global terrorism and its impacts
According to McCarthy (2017), terrorism is a global menace that causes significant damage to
lives and property all around the world. Each year the terrorist attacks around the world have
significant impact on the world economy. As per the Global Terrorism Index 2017, there has
been a decline in the global impact of terrorism by around 7% in 2016. However, in spite of the
decline, the global cost of terrorism was still extremely high at $ 84 billion in 2016. From the
time of the terrorist attacks of 9/11 there has been significant rise in the economic losses
generated from terrorism activities around the world. The uprising of the ISIS has been
significantly related with the increase in the amount of losses sustained since the year 2012 and
peak was reached in the year 2014 when the global cost of terrorism amounted to around $104
12

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
billion. It can be said that the countries where conflicts and social unrest prevail suffer the
maximum economic impacts from activities of terrorism. The majority of these countries are
located in in Middle East, North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa. In the year 2016, Iraq
demonstrated the biggest economic impact from acts of terrorism where its share of losses
related to economic impact of terrorism was around 24% of GDP. It is evident that terrorism is
detrimental not only from the perspective of the number of lives taken through such activities but
also from the viewpoint of the gargantuan monetary and economic losses that it creates around
the world (McCarthy, 2017).
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2017/11/16/the-global-economic-impact-of-
terrorism-infographic/#4fc6dec31d0f
13

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
In the observation of Mohanti (2017), out of the several impacts of global terrorism one of the
least researched outcomes has been the health impact of terrorism. When a terrorist attack takes
place anyone in the world then and it creates damages to lives of the people and also result in
massive destruction of assets and property belonging to the nation. The outcome of a terrorist
attack can have a variety of impacts on the society and community. For instance if an act of
terrorism is conducted on a small to medium scale then it will lead to small scale destruction of
lives and property. In case of large-scale terrorist activities the outcomes can be detrimental such
as loss of lives and property on a massive scale. In every major terrorist attack around the world
there is certainly health impact of such activities. Medical requirements are necessary to combat
the health impacts of terrorism because an act of terror generally has implications on a large
scale where many people are either killed or injured, requiring immediate medical assistance. In
any form of terror attack it is the vulnerable and non-competitive people in the population that
are the worst sufferers in terms of health impacts and psychological outcomes. Thereby, the
concept of ‘terror medicine’ has emerged that is targeted towards achieving medical readiness,
management of incidents, providing care services to the injured and offering psychological
counselling to the traumatized victims of terror attacks. So, amongst the diverse effects of
terrorism, the health impact is certainly a crucial factor requiring more research (Mohanti, 2017).
In the observation of Wagner (2003), the attack on the Twin Towers in the US by the terrorist
outfit Al Qaeda, has marked the beginning of a new era of global terrorism. Today, people are
concerned about their own security in everyday life as they are apprehensive of any small or
large scale terrorist attack that might cause fatality to them or their family, friends and relatives.
In recent times people are wary about undertaking travel for business purposes or for holidaying.
Today people try to determine the safety of a particular destination that they wish to travel to and
14

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
they are also calculating the routes that are offering the least possible danger to them from the
acts of terrorism. Travelling between countries and also within the borders of a country has now
it is become time-consuming issue because of the increased intensity of security checks that a
person has to undergo during travel. The influence of modern technologically advanced forms of
terrorism has led to the sophistication of the security procedures and functions that are observed
today at the various international airports or train stations. The increasing effects of global
terrorism are also being reflected in the domain of information security threats where the terrorist
outfits hacking into the systems of the military and the government and stealing sensitive
information to create their master plan of violence. So, the increased measures of security during
travelling and those in the domain of cyber security are some of the outcomes of modern
globalized form of terrorism (Wagner, 2003).
According to Arce (2019), the acts of global terrorism can be considered to be those involving
substantially low possibility of occurrence but with extremely high magnitude of consequences.
An act of terrorism can lead to a variety of outcomes such as death or injury to people. The
diverse terrorist organizations are using a variety of plans to conduct terror strikes such as
several varieties of bombings, explosions combined with shootings, mass shootings, and
vehicular assaults. All these incidents can have diverse outcomes depending on the tactics
utilized by the terrorist groups and their objectives. If a small-scale damage is intended then a
terrorist group might cause a blast at some location or a shooting in a typical location killing and
injuring a small number of people. However, if they intend to cause a large-scale damage to the
mass then they might resort to large-scale bombing, explosions or mass shootings that might kill
hundreds of people and injure even more. So, these are some of the human consequences of
terror attacks based on which it is possible to develop an injury and death profile for each
15

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
category of terror attacks and this will facilitate in ranking them in terms of their probability of
occurrence and the magnitude of damages that might be inflicted (Arce, 2019).
Terrorism prevalence in Oman
As per the data collected from The Institute for Economics & Peace (2016), according to the
Global Terrorism Index (2016), Syria holds the 1st position in the GTI rank in 2016 which makes
it the worst hit region in terms of terror attacks and deaths. Oman ranks 130th in the list of
countries which represents that the country had no terror attacks in the year 2015. In previous
years also the country has been extremely safe from acts of terrorism as compared to other
Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries.
Source: http://economicsandpeace.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Global-Terrorism-Index-
2016.2.pdf
16

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
It is observed from the above graph that the number of terrorist attacks and deaths was highest in
the MENA region in the year 2015. The Sultanate of Oman being a part of the MENA region has
not seen any attack of terrorism in that year and also in the past decade. So, it is evident that
Oman is a country that is one of the safest in the MENA region and there might be several
contributing factors to it. One of the major reasons could be the high level of security and terror-
prevention strategies that the Omani government has been observing since a decade. The country
can be considered as one of the safest destinations in the Middle East and it is safe for people to
travel in Oman for various professional and personal purposes. The situation in Oman is highly
stable from the risk of terrorist threats as compared to the other parts of Middle East and Africa.
This could be an outcome of much improved border security and robust policies from the
government to prevent terror attacks on their soil (The Institute for Economics & Peace , 2016).
Information collected from the Overseas Security Advisory Council of the US (2018), reveals
that Oman is generally a place where there is no such significant threat of terrorism as compared
to some of the other countries in the Middle East and African regions. The US Department of
State has made a threat assessment of the region and determined that Oman has no significant
concern from terrorism at the moment due to the highly effective policies from the government
in terms of ensuring the security of the nation from illegal immigration and acts of crime and
violence within the country. Muscat, the capital city of Oman is a region which is considered to
be of medium-threat in terms of terrorist activities, especially the ones that are directed toward
the foreign nationals or tourists like the people or diplomats from the US and other western
countries. Oman is considered to be one of the most potent counter-terrorism partners in the
region that acts with the other members in the region to combat terrorism. The country is free
from any sort of indigenous terror groups that operate within the nation. History reveals that
17

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
there is no incident of any US citizen or US facilities ever attacked by any terrorist outfit in
Oman. However, the US Department of State is apprehending the possibilities of future external
terrorist attacks in the country or terror attacks being carried out by religious fanatics in Oman
that sympathize with the causes of terrorism. Though, the incidents of harboring anti-American
or anti-Western sentiments by the people in Oman are extremely rare, a report was published on
the 30th of October, 2014 that warned the American community of being possible terror targets
by religious extremists through a post in one of the extremist websites about encouraging attacks
against the US and the Western teachers residing in the Middle East (Overseas Security Advisory
Council of the US , 2018).
According to the information available from the website of The US Department of State (2017),
the country report on Oman reflects that the nation is one of the most trusted regional counter-
terrorism partners of the US in that region and since 2017 Oman has been working religiously in
trying to prevent any act of terrorism on its soil or using the county as a gateway into some other
countries by any terrorist organization. The conflict in Yemen is one of the prime concerns of the
Omani government and the potential threats that might emerge from the infamous terrorist group
Al Qaeda in the Middle East and North African region. The future threats from the ISIS that
originates in Yemen are also imminent that can put Oman and its maritime borders under
considerable threats. The officials in Oman are in close contact and cooperation with the US
officials in trying to achieve cooperation in countering terrorism on its soil and in the region, but
the efforts toward counter-terrorism activities are not often effectively publicized. In an effort to
make Oman a terror-free country, the government has entered into diplomatic relationship with
the US to receive training and secure modern weaponry that are being used to counter any threat
of terrorism by securing the maritime borders, the land and the airspace of the country. The
18

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
government seeks security assistance from the US for improving its strategies and tactics of
counter-terrorism. Oman happens to be a member state of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS,
which is an Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition being headed by Saudi Arabia. The
country is also a member of the Terrorist Finance Targeting Center that is based in Riyadh.
Therefore, it is quite explicit that the Omani government has robust strategies to fight terrorism
and it is one of the major reasons of success of the nation as a terror-free nation within the highly
susceptible MENA region (The US Department of State, 2017).
As per information available from The Times of Oman (2018), Oman can be considered as one
of the safest places to travel in the world as it is completely terror-free. It is the safest destination
not only in the MENA region but also around the globe with almost no incidents of indigenous
or cross-border terrorism in decades. The country is ranked first on the Index of Incidence of
Terrorism where the incidents of terrorism are found to be the least. As per the Global
Competitiveness Report 2018, published by the World Economic Forum, the Royal Oman Police
(ROP) has been ranked 1st in the Middle East and the 5th in the world on the basis of the police
services liabilities. This is a clear reflection of the political stability of the nation along with the
high level of defense and security that has been highly successful in preventing any acts of
terrorism within the country or in some other neighboring countries through utilization of the soil
of Oman. The Global Competitiveness Report reflects the contributing factors toward
enhancement in production and prosperity of 140 nations on the globe. Organized crime and acts
of terrorism impact business operations in different countries and hence, the global
competitiveness is affected by violence and crime. From this perspective, Oman can be
considered as one of the most developing nations in the Middle East region that has been
19

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
growing and prospering in leaps and bounds due to the extremely low rates of organized crime
and acts of terrorism (The Times of Oman, 2018).
Role of lack of security measures in terrorism activities
According to the information collected from the report by the National Counter Terrorism Center
(2018), the majority of the terror attacks around the world and in the US take place due to the
lapses in the security policies and systems. The majority of the terror strikes are carried out at
open-access events where there are large number of people at one time. Mass gatherings are the
most vulnerable targets of terror strikes along with the areas that are outside the perimeter of
secured events. The major reasons for these incidents are the lack of adequate security measures
in those places due to schedules that are highly publicized and also due to admittance that is
unrestricted in most of the cases. The open-access events that are not covered securely in terms
of preventing terrorist attacks are events like protests, rallies, parades, marathons, festivals,
markets of the farmers, memorial services of funerals that are high profile in nature. Ticketing
counters near some events like concerts or sports are also the soft targets of terrorism. Hence,
there should be effective planning in advance for determining the most common terror plots and
tactics of attacks against public events by the law enforcement authorities, public safety officers
and event planners so that there is high level of preparedness to prevent and retaliate against such
terror strikes for mitigating the magnitude of damages to lives and property (National Counter
Terrorism Center , 2018).
In the observation of Lehmacher (2017), lack of effective border control is one of the prime
reasons of terror attacks in Europe and also in other parts of the world. Referring to the Schengen
Agreement that was signed in 1985 by five European nations leading to the Schengen region
remaining in a state of being borderless, can be cited as one of the reasons of infiltration of
20

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
extremist into Europe due to the lack of effective border security. It is reported that no national
border on this earth is completely impenetrable because there must be some unavoidable
loopholes that will make the international borders porous through which terrorists can enter into
a nation. Security breaches are possible due to the technologies available for forging travel
documents or stealing travel documents from people. As per the report of the Chicago Tribune,
around 1, 70,000 travelers have evaded detection at the border between the US and Mexico and
around 2, 00,000 travelers evaded capture if the number of people entering into the US by sea is
also considered. Apart from border security, aviation security is also one of the most important
deterrents of preventing illegal immigration into a nation. Though, the modern standard of
airport security has improved in leaps and bounds with availability of modern machines and
equipment that detect any fraudulent identity, yet these systems are also not entirely foolproof
against illegal infiltration. So the European Union has resorted to utilizing high quality of digital
technologies along with formulation of effective anti-terrorism strategies to achieve better
protection of the borders from unauthorized infiltration (Lehmacher, 2017).
According to the information collected from one of the articles published in The Conversation
Media Group Ltd. (2018), the standard of airport security around the globe has increased
significantly to the point of being impenetrable. This had to occur owing to the infamous incident
of 9/11 attacks on the Twin Tower of the World Trade Center in the US in September 2011. The
incident shook not only the US, but also the entire world as no one expected that terrorism
attacks could be inflicted by using such methods like hijacking airplanes and then using them as
weapons of destruction. Hundreds of lives were lost and massive damages were inflicted on lives
and property that were irreparable. In the aftermath of this heinous attack by Al Qaeda, a
notorious terrorist outfit originating in the Middle East, the level of security at the airports have
21

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
been beefed up significantly and the modern international airports have been literally
transformed into fortresses that are nearly impermeable. For ensuring the best possible security
measures against unauthorized infiltration, the modern airports have barriers and several
categories of physical protection systems along with the posting of armed forces and police
patrolling. In most of the cases, infiltration into a country through airports occur due to the
presence of ‘Insiders’ within the airport systems who advertently or inadvertently end up giving
access to terrorists that trespass through the airport security measures. These insiders can be of
various categories such as a radicalized employee or staff, individual criminal, disgruntled staffs,
organized criminal gangs and even inefficient staffs who have failed to implement all the
security checks prudently. All these incidents have made even the best international airports
around the world vulnerable to security lapses from infiltration by terrorists (The Conversation
Media Group Ltd., 2018).
According to Jackson and Frelinger (2009), there are several reasons due to which a terrorist
attack might be successful or unsuccessful. The Department of Homeland Security of the US has
been on high alert after the attacks on the World Trade Center, in preventing activities of
terrorism and mitigating the impacts of such events in the case they take place. During an
analysis of past terrorism activities, it is evident that in some cases most small-scale terror
attacks are often carried out successfully and in some cases, the most well-chalked terrorist
attacks are thwarted. The analysis has led to the conclusion that the homeland security and the
military need to understand the various natures of terrorist attacks and the trends that are mainly
observed by the terrorist outfits in carrying out terrorism around the world. If these patterns are
studied satisfactorily, by the defense agencies, border security forces, the FBI and the police
authorities, then it will make the terrorist attacks less likely to achieve their desired objectives by
22

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
making them unsuccessful. There are several factors that determine the probability of success for
terror attacks around the world such as a relationship between diverse elements like the
capabilities of the terror groups and the resources available to them. The understanding of the
requirements and objectives of the operations that they attempted or are planning to attempt is
important. The last factor that has been determined to be of special significance is the degree of
relevance and the extent of reliability of the security measures and tactics deployed for
countering acts of terrorism. In order to become successful, a terrorist attack requires to have a
match between the resources and capabilities and the operational requirements that the terrorist
outfit is looking to carry out. To complement it, there should be a mismatch between the efforts
of the intelligence or investigative agencies and the security countermeasure authorities (Jackson
& Frelinger, 2009).
Old readable travel documents and their security features
Information gathered from the official website of Gemalto (2019), helps in determining the
differences in features between the old Machine Readable Passports (MRPs) and the modern
state-of-the-art electronic or e-passports. In case of the old readable passports, there are printed
information related to the identities of the passport holders on the identity page that is also
referred to as the data page. Such information is scanned with the help of optical readers that are
used at different places such as the airports. The advantage of the old machine readable passport
was that the information processing was fast and the process of immigration checking into the
airport was quick. However, the disadvantage of such passport is that it can be forged or
counterfeited by unethical travelers such as terrorists that have objectives of travelling across
borders to cause terrorism. An electronic passport or e-passport is an electronic travel document
that is similar to the old machine readable passport, but contains an added chip or circuit that lies
23

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
embedded inside one of the pages of the passport or within the cover. The advantage of the
electronic passport is that the chip renders digital security features such as biometrics of the
owner that is a proof of originality of the passport holder. The e-passport is considered as more
reliable and safe in terms of offering security to the actual owner as it cannot be easily
counterfeited like the machine readable passport. The perceived disadvantage of the e-passport is
that its procedure of checking is a bit lengthy as compared to the old machine readable passport
but it should be implemented in all the countries under the instructions of the International Civil
Aviation Organization (ICAO) (Gemalto, 2019).
In the observation of Siciliano (2007), the emergence of machine readable passports happened in
the 1980s when the world started to shift away from the traditional passports which were not
highly safe and secure as a lot of information of the travelers needed to be manually entered into
the system at the time of undertaking a flight travel between several countries. At the airport,
such traditional passports created lot of problems and errors and frauds occurred. Along with
that, such documents were easily counterfeited by unscrupulous people such as terrorists for
conducting terror attacks around the world.
24

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
A sample Traditional British Passport
Many illegal immigrants also travelled in between nations by furnishing fake traditional
passports. This gave rise to the machine readable passports and it was from the middle of 2000
that the US government had made it a mandate for the foreign travelers to carry machine
readable passports as the traditional paper-based passports were made obsolete. The initiative
was known as the “Visa Waiver Program”. However in most of the modern nations around the
world including Oman, there is the use of machine readable passports. The United Nations (UN)
has furnished the standard format for passports to be used by all the member states that is
referred to as “ICAO Document 9303”.
25

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
A sample Machine Readable Passport
The machine readable passports contain all the information about the traveler at the bottom of
the document in the form of two lines of texts. The machine readable passports (MRPs) use 88
characters consisting of detail of the owner such as passport number, name, nationality, and other
information. The information is interpreted by using a computer system having optical character
recognition. This form of passport has reduced the previous errors of traditional passport,
however, they are counterfeited by modern terror groups for which the concept of e-passport or
electronic passport has emerged that ensures digital security of information (Siciliano, 2007).
26

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
Electronic travel documents and their security features
An Omani e-Passport (Biometric Passport)
Role of International Civil Aviation Organization in security policy
Information gathered from the website of D. G. Controls Limited (2012), discusses the role of
the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in ensuring the safety and security of air
travel around the world. The organization is a technical body specializing in the concepts of
aviation and is a part of the United Nations. The organization is headquartered at Montreal in
Canada. The body was created in the year 1947 after the Chicago Convention on International
Civil Aviation that was officially agreed upon and signed by 52 member countries in 1944. The
primary role and responsibility of the ICAO is to design protocols and regulations that need to be
observed diligently across the globe by the civil aviation companies. The several processes and
principles related to the international air navigation are classified by the body. Providing safety
27

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
and security to nations from unauthorized immigration by offering holistic security policies and
protocols regarding the security checking procedures that the airport authorities should observe
diligently in order to prevent any form of illegal entrance by travelers with ominous intentions
within a nation. Like in all the major countries in the world, the ICAO also controls the security
protocols in case of the Omani aviation sector and the use of modern technologies in determining
the authenticity of the travel documents furnished to the security personnel by the passengers (D.
G. Controls Limited , 2017).
According to Mackenzie (2010), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), is a body
that has developed certain rules and regulations related to the safety and security of flight travel
across several countries around the globe. First, the organization has prescribed the use of certain
standardized processes and equipment that need to be used by the aviation companies around the
world at the time of performing security checking on the passengers travelling between countries
or in between destinations within the same country. With the growth and development in
technology across several sectors, the airport security has also improved manifold and it is the
responsibility of the aviation organizations around the world to observe those standardized
guidelines diligently with subtle modifications based on the rules and legislations that are
specific to several nations. With globalization there has been a significant development in
technology that is being used by the modern terror outfits for undertaking illegal immigration by
forging travel documents. So, it has become indispensable for the aviation organizations to
install highly advanced security systems so that they can determine such unauthorized infiltration
by illegitimate travelers with malicious intentions. So, the ICAO has been updating the security
protocols to ensure that the safety and security of the nations can be maintained. It has mandated
the use of modern machine readable passports and is promoting the use of e-passports and other
28

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
digital travel documents in the future that are safer from the security perspective (Mackenzie,
2010).
Conclusion
The review of several sources of literature has made it possible to form substantial knowledge
about the various causes and types of terrorism and the current scenario of Oman from the
perspective of terrorist activities within the nation. The review has also enlightened on the
modern security measures undertaken by the aviation organizations to ensure the authenticity of
identity of the travelers from one country to another. The review has also made clear the
advantages and limitations of the old machine readable passports and the modern digital or
electronic passports and other modern travel documents that are safer and secure as they cannot
be easily forged by terrorists or other illegitimate people.
29

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
CHAPTER 3: Methodology
Introduction
This chapter of the report discusses about all the techniques and procedures implemented in the
research study for gathering data and then analyzing the same to arrive at the results and
interpretations based on which the findings have been generated. Thereafter, conclusions have
been generated and plausible recommendations have been offered to the management of the
chosen organizations (Research Methodology, 2019).
Research Approach
The research has undertaken an inductive approach whereby the primary objective of the study
has been to gather new information available from the research participants about the concepts of
safety and security offered by the electronic travel documents and the extent to which such
systems and techniques have contributed toward combating terrorism activities around the world
and also in Oman. Though empirical data has been used for the literature survey, the mixed
methods research has been undertaken on an exploratory basis (Research Methodology, 2018).
Research Philosophy
The research philosophy observed in this study is positivism. In this form of philosophy, the
assumptions are based on factual knowledge gathered from observations such as measurement
and the results can be considered as reliable and trustworthy. Positivism encompasses collection
of data and interpretation by the researcher where the observations are quantifiable and therefore
this has been appropriate for this mixed methods research study (Research Methodology, 2018).
30

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
Research Methods
The research method that was utilized in this research study was the mixed methodology of
research which consists of both qualitative and quantitative data collection procedures
(Macmillanihe, 2018). The details of such methods are discussed as follows.
Qualitative Method
In this form of data collection, the researcher has gathered qualitative data in the form of
feedback from the research participants. The interview process was utilized for collecting
qualitative information from the participants such that a qualitative data analysis could be
executed to arrive at a thematic analysis of the opinion and suggestion of the respondents.
Sampling
Sampling refers to selection of few participants in a primary research study that are
representatives of the entire target population. In respect of this study, the target population
consisted of 2 security managers from Oman Air, the national carrier in Oman and SalamAir, the
most reputed low-cost carrier in Oman. For choosing the participants for the interviews
convenience sampling was used by the researcher (ORAU, 2018).
Instrument
The research instrument is the tool which is administered by the researcher for collecting data
from the research participants. For the qualitative data collection from the 2 security managers
within the chosen aviation organizations, structured interviews were conducted by distributing
open-ended questionnaires where the respondents can offer their free feedback and opinion
(Social Research Methods, 2006).
31

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
Quantitative Method
The quantitative method of data collection encompasses procedures that are undertaken by a
researcher for the purpose of collecting feedback that can be represented in numeric or
quantitative format for the purpose of achieving an effective quantitative analysis of the data. In
case of this research, the survey technique was used by the researcher for the purpose of
collecting quantitative responses from the research participants (StatPac Inc, 2017).
Sampling
For selecting the 30 security personnel operating within Oman Air and SalamAir, the random
sampling technique was utilized that contributed in selecting the participants from diverse
backgrounds, age, experience, culture, ethnicity, etc. This facilitated the study by offering variety
to the responses that made the research study more authentic and credible as there were
occasional diversities in the opinion given by the respondents (Macmillanihe, 2018).
Instrument
The research instrument being utilized for the quantitative data collection phase was survey
questionnaire. Survey questionnaires were developed for each of the 30 participants. They were
structured questionnaires with closed-ended questions where the respondents could only choose
between the options given in each of the questions and not offer their own free opinion. The
questionnaires contained questions on demography as well as the several aspects of modern
terrorism, situation in Oman, utility of the modern electronic travel documents over older
readable travel documents, the reason for choosing the modern electronic travel documents for
ensuring the safety and security of Oman from terror attacks, and a host of other questions. Some
of the non-demographic questions were based on the 5-Point Likert Scale.
32

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
Data Analysis Methods
The analysis of the data was conducted in two phases. At first the qualitative analysis was
undertaken, followed by the quantitative analysis of data.
Qualitative Analysis
The qualitative analysis was conducted thematically, by arranging the responses from the 2
managers in terms of common themes that accounted for the similarities and dissimilarities in
opinion and observations. The results were then analyzed to appear at logical interpretations
(ORAU, 2018).
Quantitative Analysis
The quantitative analysis of the survey feedback from the 30 security personnel was undertaken
utilizing the MS Excel software where the results were generated in the forms of graphs and
charts for facilitating a comprehensive analysis of data that would lead to logical results and
interpretations (ORAU, 2018).
Conclusion
In conclusion to this chapter, it is observed that the research study has implemented a mixed
method research where data have been collected in both qualitative and quantitative forms from
diverse group of respondents such as the security managers and the security personnel in Oman
Air and SalamAir. Interviews were conducted on the security managers and surveys were
administered on security personnel from both the organizations. The qualitative data was
analyzed thematically and the quantitative data was analyzed using graphs and charts created in
MS Excel. The following chapter discusses about the project management procedures observed
by the researcher to implement the desired methodologies.
33

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
Chapter 4
Project Management
The case in hand has to be implemented to ensure that the e-verification of people entering and
leaving the nation via its borders. The project management thereby would help the researcher to
produce the best of material and services for the team of experts those who check the validity of
passports and the identity of the personnel visiting or leaving the nation the external affairs and
internal affairs of the nation work in close coordination with the security apparatus of the nation
to ensure the verification of all and any who are coming in the nation. The role of internal civil
aviation is been discussed who are primarily responsible in getting in people from various parts
of the globe inside the nation. The part would also see that the laws of the nation are been used
well for operation of the modern devices along with the detection devices and their operation.
The project would entail the education, training and adoption of the modern methods in the
process that helps them detect the people and ensure that the illegal personnel and suspects are
identified at the very inception.
Gathering Information Security
The primary step for the needful security is the information gathering that would help the
authorities to collect the people’s data and their intents. It is done via a social engineering
framework that is used by all the security agencies to keep searchable information about people
who wish to learn more about the psychological, physical, historical as well as medical or such
aspects about a personnel via various aspects of social engineering. Such information gathering
can be done which needs both high end and low end instruments that would give enough data for
the needful intent of data about the people of various nationality. Nevertheless, the check on the
34

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
validity of the data is needed to ensure that the hackers don’t use them for bad intent or have any
ways to change or tamper the data to keep its validity for the long term. Some basic
methodologies used are been discussed herein:
Telephone: The Old ways of calling the proper authority in the right place may get the needful
information of the personnel who can this be traced and information regarding the person can be
received from the sources in that manner. However, the numbers may be unreachable or wrong
which makes this process tedious so other methods are used for the same case which are well
tested and are proper methods as well. Further, calls can be made in the modem days with apps
and internet channels as well where the identity can be kept hidden by the caller to make their
identities impossible to discover. Thus the ways like online searches, social media profile
tracing, international travel and past crime data, if any are collected to be shared with the other
agencies.
Online Searches: The search engines of the internet are very much used for the cause which
makes the data of the people and their activities well informed to the people who needs to know
about the person. The national police and agencies keeps the data of the people who have crime
records or are suspected for the same in a data base which is further shared with the international
authorities for their convenience and control and check for the specifications that they need to let
one enter or not in their nation. Since, terrorism is the threat of the day which involves each
person and their documents for the purpose of information that may be needed for the
identification and verification of the interests of a person that may give the authorities a clue of
the personnel which would further help them to keep that person’s activities in check or cancel
their entry altogether due to the records as received from the net.
35

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
In such online search the idea is to have the corporate information, business data, professional
aspirations, education and interest like important aspect for a visitor which helps them to get an
idea about the intent for the visit. The knowledge, skill and the techniques known to personnel
and their interests makes the ground for the identification. The activities that were involved in
getting the visa done or the purpose mentioned for the travel is all checked to ensure that the
entrant is clean and is of no suspect for any crime or such in the long run. The public as well as
some private information are needed for travelling which is varied from nation to nation. The
Oman ministry of internal affairs has its own guidelines which helps them to develop the inputs
and thus build upon the needful status for the personnel to ensure if to let them in or keep them
out of the soil. The detection processes are also matched with the data bases of the international
travelers guide which uses high definition cameras in the entry spots which can detect the face
and recognize the person if it’s on the list, which helps in detection even if the personnel has
passed the manual tests. Again, the fingerprints are taken which is now even further modernized
with the eye retina scanner to ensure the identity so as to get the needful information about them.
This helps in detection even if the manual methods have failed by alarming the security with
signals. Hence, the online checks have improved the communication about the passengers and
their intents as and when they apply for Visa to visit Qatar. Such systems in place has been kept
in place to ensure the security and wellbeing of the nation at all time without any damage done
by the trespassers. Nevertheless, some nations of the globe are poor and don’t have such a huge
data base to keep the criminal’s photos in their systems making those entry risk in some cases.
The online data is unavailable but the visa process ensures that the personnel is clean before they
get an entry visa to make sure that the person entering is of no threat. Again, the authorities may
36

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
send in questioners to the personnel so that they may get the issues they need to know about the
visitor so that they may compile them and use then for further verifications.
The verification of the needful information about the travelers are compiled and kept for the
people in the Aviation department or in the security officers at the port of entry into Oman. The
people with unclean or background questionable may be thus identified and kept away from the
port of entry into the nation. The national security and the activities within too are of prime
importance where the information about the people staying in Oman from different nationality
are kept in surveillance if any inconclusive or unverified personnel enters the nation. The travel
documentations of the day has been made electronic to make sure that the right and needful
information are got by the authorities while checking the antecedents of a traveler coming in.
The project has been made to check if the current methods are well integrated with the
surveillance systems and what else may be done to see that the systems are well maintained and
in place to respond as and when needed. However, a great care is taken to ensure that this data is
not leaked or trespassed upon by others that may disturb the civil aviation as well as the
personnel whose data is been leaked. The details are of great importance so the security of it as
well as protection of it from potential trespassers are to be maintained to ensure the best of
security on all fronts. There may be difficulties in getting the right information for which the
foreign office takes the charge and discuss with the respective consulate office for more details
before allowing the permission for the entry.
The various parts of the project are been done in the manner which suites the time frame and the
goal of the project the best.
Task
Mode Task Name Duration Start Finish Predecessors
37

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
Auto
Scheduled
Research on the
importance of security
information in the
electronic travel
document to combat
terrorism
70 days Wed 5/15/19 Tue 8/20/19
Auto
Scheduled
Understand the role of
Civil Aviation in
conducting the checks to
control terror
10 days Wed 5/15/19 Tue 5/28/19
Auto
Scheduled Literature Review 12 days Wed 5/29/19 Thu 6/13/19 2
Auto
Scheduled
Distribution and
Collection of
stakeholder's views
9 days Fri 6/14/19 Wed 6/26/19 3
Auto
Scheduled
Look and understand
the gadgets and its utility 25 days Thu 6/27/19 Wed 7/31/19 4
Auto
Scheduled
Gets the reflection done
and compiled for review,
if any
14 days Thu 8/1/19 Tue 8/20/19 5
Auto
Scheduled Project Closure 0 days Tue 8/20/19 Tue 8/20/19 6
Gantt chart
The jobs those need to be done in the project to ensure that the security in the positions of entry
are well maintained and are getting the best of results. Therefore, the jobs are identified to get the
38

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
time distributed within the time frame so that the best can be achieved during this period to get
the best of results. The results which comes gives the scope for reflection of what more can be
added.
The role of civil aviation in getting the data for the people coming in the nation has risen due to
the prevalent threat of terrorism across the globe. Oman is no exception so it has to ensure the
safety of the people and their properties in its borders so the needful check of the details needs to
be known. Once they have the details at hand the necessary checks can be conducted. Therefore,
the updating of the visa information needs the passport verification which has a standard of its
own. The Mena guidelines and the US and other national departments of foreign affairs and
terrorist movement are been jointly controlled and handled. This makes the terrorism in the
region so successful in its control and counter.
The post 26/11 scenario has made the inspection and prudency in security checks has made the
authorities take every measure possible to not let suspicious people in the nation. The attacks are
planned outside which are difficult to trace and even the events of lone wolves committing crime
are evidently the job of internal security which too is kept a well grip upon to not let such occur.
The e-passports of the day are much upgraded to let the others know about the individual in
details as in a data page which is very different from the previous printed passports. The readable
passports are so very different in features and the identity pages are of great difference and
details making the identification easy and countermeasures possible. The machine readable
passports have made the traditional passports obsolete thus the counterfeit or such chances are
low in such cases.
39

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
Project description
The project was made to distribute the project management practices of various steps like
planning, executing, controlling and thus the closure of the job. This methods or steps needs well
guided researched and well defined steps which would give the needful results despite of the
constrains that may affect the job flow. The scope, quality and the budgets are the three aspects
which the managers needs to clear before they start the project planning. The allocation of the
assets to the people that would give the best outputs and the optimization of the process accuracy
and planning are key to such preset objectives. Nevertheless, a project may see the constrains
like scope, time, quality and budgets so the planning in such regards are to be maintained. So the
complex decision making process of a project leader has to encompass all those constrains to set
the needful boundaries. So the project is developed to get the resources best allocated and
constrains be well integrated to get the best of services.
Scope: The scope of the project has to be clear from the very start so that the people involved
knows the needful attention that they need to give and the outcomes that may be expected from
such a project. Since the project is been done keeping the business as usual so a more focused
and more attentive scope is been made to aid the decision making for the business which may be
repetitive or unique for the case which needs to be done well and with well supported plans and
resources in place to see that the operations is not hampered. In the airport security details the
people and the gadgets are been utilized so that the job happens but the business operations are
not hampered.
The key skills of allocation and man management for the project is such that the people and their
jobs are been well entrenched into distinct technical skills and strategies for implementation. The
security of the public place and identification of the people who are walking in needs a special
40

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
set of software to identify the personnel and feed the data so that the people identifies the
personnel and get their background data to detect the threat levels. Once the threats are
identified, this makes the scope or the needs for such training clear. The management of such
drill or training needs to happen in such a way that it do not disturb the other processes
happening during operations and there is no disturbance of any kind to keep the skills and
strategies going.
Time: This is an important factor where the time is to be well determined to get the needful
happen in the right time and place for the best outputs. The choosing of the period when the
people would be trained is fixed in a way that the operations get its full resources of manpower
and gadgets while the training is on. Further, the application of new technological breakthroughs
and the strategies has to be such that the management is well acquainted and gets the best of time
to learn before they work on such aspects. The ways to use the proper gadgets the utility, the
ways to use and the counters for any confusions are all taught in such a period where the
activities needs special care and attention along with resource allocation like people’s
participation. The application of new technology or addition of a new step needs such a program
where the training and induction is needed for which the time needs to be well selected to get the
best from it without further delay or cost involvement for the best results within budget for the
allocated job.
Quality: The issue of quality is of prime interest as the ways the quality is determined is how
well the program designed is yielding the results. Again, since it’s the training and evaluation job
so the way the process are followed, the people’s knowledge, confidence and the ways to make
the jobs more simplistic and more skills are generated is kept a tag upon so that the best is got
from the business. The processes of the job along with the content of the needful data needed for
41

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
the same is to be ready to make the application of the project well. A research of the people who
would be participating or the people of the security team and others who are closely associated
with the operations are been tested for their knowledge and education. Hence the people with the
best of education needs the training as a practice or on hand training while people new to these
gadgets and protocols needs more of formal training which may need a more number of theory
classes along with hands on experience. The project of e-passports and e-documentations are on
across the globe but not all are adequately informed or are so competent. Hence the people at the
Oman airports needs to understand the same and act with the visitors as they come in from
various nationalities. As per the Theory of Constrains the training is been designed to meet the
needful program where the people are clear about what is expected out of them.
Budget: The project management may offer a vast array of training schemes but the
accommodation and identification of the needs along with the specialized needs and industry
specifications. The budget has to be thus allocated in accordance to the importance of the project,
needs and specializations that has to be achieved. The idea is thus to allocate the resources and
its application likewise which generates the best of end results. The delivery of the needful is
thus key to identify and accommodate along with the money needed for the same. The constrain
of the business may not be the items it has purchased but the clause which comes with it. The
business is best suited to develop the purchase orders in accordance to the needs of the project as
planned. The intents of the management should be well expressed to develop the plan and
allocate the budget in a frame which gives the results likewise. The items bought are new in
technology so needs special attention of use and maintenance or checks to see that it is operating
well. Hence, the total cost that the business intends to spend is on one side while the offers of the
firm selling the products and their training manuals and classes along with warrantee of the
42

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
machines too has a high degree of importance which leads in buying of the product by looking
into the post sales services clause. This is important for the Oman Airport Authority as the post
sales services is of prime importance for a job within budget as well as the project to have the
best assets within a planned budget for the project scope.
Once the planning for the training needs, its requirements, quality and the money for the job is
been allocated the project may start with the inputs in mind. The person who needs the training
as well as the managers who planned the new scope has to be aware of the outcomes intended so
that they can plan the program well. The specialized needs of the industry helps in the delivery of
the things like the manpower skills, best of gadgets for the job, people’s awareness and the
needful information which is hack proof in such case where the counter terrorism activity is in
mind. The people and their belongings are not in the documentation process where the
technology plays the most vital role of delivery of safety and needful guidance in managing the
threats. The project of e-passport verification may too massive structural changes where the
people and their trainings are to be done with each passing day on the newest technologies
available for the job. The project managers use and develop the best of technologies or the use of
such in the business where the people are taken into consideration for the best outcomes. So the
skills that people have needs a relook and more inward introspection to understand what more
can be added.
The most valid of all scopes is the scope of getting the updating and new technology additions.
Localization of the project management makes the needs and thus the deliverable for a project
clear to the people who are to execute the same. Hence the time, quality and budget for the
project is to be such that the management of the project is well established and planned to get the
best out of it. Further, the people are well identified along with the areas that they would need the
43

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
training for which further add on to its utility. Hence, the need for that specific area or the
needful skills can be judged and portrayed with maximum utility if the assessments are done
well. The identification software, the detection of malwares in the system, the user passwords
and the shit personnel who are in charge are all of vital importance.
Again, the way the hierarchy works in such a project is of another issue of importance which
suggests who would control what and when as well as who is responsible for what at which
location in the airport. This may be further be aided with Close circuit cameras which has preset
data of the people who are expected in the airport with their details and are mapped via special
camera software to trace the faces and identify. This keeps the risk low. However if the system is
compromised or hacked the people may face trouble and do events that are not wanted in a
public place. The fear among the people has to be low or non to see that the pressure is equally
distributed in all areas. The identification via the visual or face detection software are difficult if
the people or their faces are all jumbled in a crowd or are partially invisible due to it. So the
position of the cameras and the distribution of people need to be such that it don’t bar people
from having a look into who is where. If there is a threat then the actions has to be coordinated
which has its own ways of doing. The fear or expression of threat should be lowest to not let
panic struck the compound inside the public areas of the airport. All these skills and knowledge
of the protocols has to be well established and kept within bounds so that the process and its
implementations are as per the decided norms and expectations.
44

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
Chapter 5
Presentation and Analysis of Data
The research was conducted on the basis of positivism where the interpretation of data was done
to get to the conclusions. The primary data was received from the sources like the staffs of the
Oman Air Security who were been interviewed by the researcher with open ended questions
where they can elaborate ion their observations. The most available officers were chosen one by
one with prior permission of the Floor Manager to get the interview for the research done. The
ethics were maintained here by using the data for inference of the findings.
The 2 security officers were interviewed with open ended questions where they were asked how
the organization maintained or ensured the counter terrorism steps are well interpreted and
implemented in the systems. The answers are been explained herein which gave a lot of new
information about the counter terrorism as well as the needs for e-passports in the modern days.
The machines that reads the cards for travelers or the e-passport or visas are all done
mechanically which is controlled by a special group of people who keeps the data secured and
untampered so that no one can elope the grip of law and justice. The e-passport results are all fed
in the main machines which has the details of all people who are scheduled to arrive along with
their clearances and intents of visits well specified in the documents. This makes the
identification easy and thus the team is sure of who came in or went away from any port of
aviation. This keeps the tap on people and process that in the long run helps in keeping the nation
terrorist free.
45

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
Analysis of the Data
The data collection specifically intended to understand the counter terrorism actions those are in
place apart from the e-passports which keeps the risk at the minimal (Questions in Appendix 1).
The check in of guests is one while the operations which acts like scanners, trained dog squads,
instruments to detect hidden articles like metal detectors, are used in such purpose. X ray
screening, looking for suspicions items across the airport campus with smelling Dog squad, a
Close Circuit TV camera to keep the options of detection and thus prevention clear and open for
all to follow. The security managers also specified that the machines those are used to detect the
passports are of special nature which can read even if the card have grease on it or can identify
the fake from original no matter how much of damage is done to the card or is intended to be
done.
These keep the risk of being undetected or escape detection low and nearly impossible. The
quantitative data too was collected which was taken in from 30 different officers of Oman Air to
get the data for collecting the data for research graph making that would show the results. Close
ended questions were chosen where the people were asked to answer the one most relevant to
them (Refer Appendix 2). The data for the research consisted of the knowledge of the use of the
technologies of e-visas of the modern-day, the approach towards the job if there are any
suspicions, the efficiency of the machinery and technologies are the aspects asked in the process.
Free feedback and opinion were sought in the open ended questioning while the close ended was
kept without any names on them so as to keep the respondents unknown and thus makes the
investigation free of bias.
46

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
The Primary Data
The quantitative answers were taken and its graphical forms are made:
Perception of utility
Very High High Poor Very Poor
The maximum of the people in the answers were very happy with the utility of the gadgets used
for the e-passport for counter terrorism. However, there was one who thought more can be done
about it.
47

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
Knowledge
Very well trained Well Trained Trained Needs Training
The knowledge of the utility of the gadgets and to use them was high among the officers
however one suggested that he needed more training and development to work better. Such has
to be taken care by the business and so the needful training exercise has to be done.
The ability to determine and counter any threats are generally high in the security apparatus for
which it was asked if more training or scope of such is there.
48

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
Training need
Highly trained Well Trained Trained Needs more training
The training was high among many of the officers working but not all were confident and few
recommended that they be trained more for the best outcomes. Hence, the people who are in the
job needs more training and development for the best outcome of the job. The people who
decided they need training also gives the scope for the organization to check the security
readiness of all and thus do the program likewise. For them it would help in developing the
needful skills that would help in the business in the long run. The training of the people in the
ways of defense is needed for the best outcome of the process.
The manpower and the gadgets that they have are not in plenty as are mentioned by few but
mostly the people are happy with the outcomes.
49

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
People and Gadgets
Very Satisfied Satisfied Not Satisfied Very Unsatisfied
The gadgets that the people have along with the manpower in each shift has both satisfied as well
as unsatisfied clients. The people needs to be asked about the kind of gadgets that they would
prefer and where more people is needed or they think is required has to be understood so that the
best facilitation of the processes can be done.
Hence, the quantitative results shows the progress of the activities such that they may do better in
few issues like training, skill development, drills and more skills for the people involved in the
security. The same can be implemented with the needful drill which can be pre-planned to see
the short-comings and the ways to mitigate them. The qualitative research too was done on the
same group which also fetched some answers. The people working with the Airport had their
mind fixed on the ways that they can work while in distress or the problems that may occur sue
to the lack of training or gadgets. The use of Dogs for the detection of luggage coming, scanning
and x-rays for the detection of luggage while scan and metal detector testing for the people
50

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
coming in the area. This keeps the fear of trespassing mitigated by influencing the people at the
door of the entrance.
Secondary Data
The literature review as well as the data gathered for the research based on the operations in the
other stations or airports of the globe formed the basis for the data. Such was got from various
sources like the journals, websites as well as the news articles published from time to time since
2010. The secondary study also gave the project the scope to get inputs like what is needed and
what more can be added in the job to make it full proof. The analysis of the primary with the
secondary makes the findings full proof to give comments on what needs to be done or what are
the limitations of such a system. In this study the newest forms which are adopted by others to
ensure security of the public venues are also studied and are looked if the same can be
implemented for the job at hand. The use of the visual software which detect the faces of the
people walking in the lobby can be done with a preset program that has the list of faces that
would identify and keep the people informed about the identity and their locations in the lobby
which would also detect anomaly if there is any trespassing in the people with a tarnished record.
The securities have to take special care for the people with the background of crime but are free
now so that special attention can be given to them. Again, the use of the face detection software
and updating it daily for new data as well as refresh data for the arrivals for the next day is also
uploaded for monitoring the people coming in.
This helps to give the best of protection to the people and the assets within the area where the
counter terrorism activities have to be at its peak. This secondary study was done and its
implementation scope in the Airport was discussed which was already there. Nevertheless, the
51

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
people were not aware if there is a better version which is in the market as the one they are using
is now 3 years old. This scope of addition was there and identified as the needful for the updating
of the process and systems in the airport.
Pilot Study
The study was done a pilot basis where the people who were selected for the research or the
respondents were in the pilot study project. All of them were asked in a random fashion so that
the people give the most honest answers and made the research findings successful. The security
officers of the Airport at Oman were from 3 different shifts of which the qualitative study was
done one 2 people of 2 different shifts while the 30 for the quantitative analysis were used to get
the research results. The changes of the questions were done in the qualitative portion where the
people were not allowed to give the intimate details of the study. The people thus gave open
ended answers which were good enough to understand the utility, processes adopted and the
needful inputs needed more to make the study a success.
The review of the project once done was shown to the security in charge to see if any
information needs to be added or deducted for the security purpose. This was a pilot project to
keep the quality and specifications of the research such that it generated the best results to
interpret.
Sample Selection
The sample size of 2 for qualitative and 30 for quantitative were taken in a random manner based
on the people’s availability and the permission that the chief of security gave for the study. So
the people in the sample were been taken in here for the best results for the research. No bias was
done and random sampling out of the 32 people chosen for the research were been taken in for
52

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
the job. Hence, the people were of the same level with same job description and skills but with
different experience on the job. The people who were associated with the place for the security
for most of their careers were selected to get the most distinct picture of the security related
issues where e-documentations were of use. Electronic instrument use and its utility along with
the skills to operate and undertake the risk evaluations were only taken in for the job of security
so the people with the best of knowledge were chosen for the same.
The people who were there in the first two shifts were chosen for the qualitative interview which
was too random with the time of the people taken in for consideration. The electronic traveling
documentation and techniques ensuring enhanced safety were made the front runner to determine
the people identification skills. Further, it was noted that the best of answers were received
where the people were given ample chance to hide their identity so no identification was tagged
with the answers which made the scope clear and answers objective to the people and positions
with utmost honesty.
The sample was also from the group of people who were directly responsible for the security
where the training and gadgets information were best available. So for the best scope of the
research, the sample was taken to aid further research. The sample size was predetermined for
the quantitative questions however the qualitative part may have a few more which would have
helped the cause more.
53

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
Chapter 6
Conclusions and Recommendations
The security of the people and assets in the day’s post 9/11 has been in the top priority for any
airport authority of which the Oman Civil Aviation was no separate part of. The people who
were travelling needs security while the criminals and suspects of terrorism are kept away from
the travelling flights to keep the people’s lives and the security of the assets safe. Since the
technologies of the day has improved the will of the criminals and their skills to counter the
security apparatus has increased as well. The use of human intelligence is there but the aid that
the technologies of the day have given takes the credit of ensuring and double checking the
issues at hand and the occurrences. However, the disclosure of the information and the security
checks for the goods that are passing the airports are of primary importance along with the
identification of the people coming in. For an example, India, Singapore like nations has a
Citizen’s program of registration for various government schemes and facilities to avail. The
processes take the citizen’s photo, finger prints and dose the retina scan for the issuance of the
card. The personnel can thus be identified as without that card the government agencies won’t
issue any passport or travel authorizations.
Such a process is foolproof but not all nations, especially the underdeveloped nations don’t have
it. Such nations needs to visit the Oman embassy to get the visas where the verifications are done
beforehand to let the people know at home who are travelling in. The airport authority keeps the
track of such data and keeps the systems updated to see that the names, faces, identities,
antecedents and history of the person are well displayed. Therefore, when the check is done at
the site, the people have the knowledge of what to expect and what should be an anomaly in the
54

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
Standard Operating procedure. Hence, the people along with their anomaly need to have a tag
upon which only a good electronic documentation along with personal verification by the people
on the shift can physically do. The e-documentation is the best way as on date as it is instant and
is very well timed in terms of information gathering or sharing. The mega display of the needful
cautions along with personal display of intent to complete the job on time makes the job get the
needful importance and priority from the people. The people who are involved have the training
to detect the needful job contents. The people are given training and continuous improvement
chances where even the foreign agencies to participate for joint exercise of counter intelligence
gathering and sharing. The contents are much updated however more can be done. The issues of
what can be achieved or added on to it are discussed in the reflections of the study, as a whole.
Reflection
The application of the needful gadgets in the place is there however, the content is to be kept
updated. People’s training is an issue which came into light where more detailed classes can be
done. Again, if there is better software in the market which is used by others it has to be brought
in. the addition of the resources would keep the team updated while training is needed for the
whole process. The updating in training from time to time, multi skilling the staffs to a better
extent is also needed for the authorities. The people who are involved in the regular security
check needs to have the e-certification process knowledge along with a good knowledge of
software. The people who are on the computers have to understand the anomaly just by looking
at the screen or with its functioning in certain cases. The training needs were identified in the
quantitative answers while the software of face detection can be upgraded with stronger pixel
resolution developing new software. The people need more of soft skill trainings like the
software making themselves so that they can upgrade themselves with updating in the systems.
55

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
Any updating project needs well managed processes where the operations are not hampered but
the job is done well. The list of work that the people have to do in their shifts along with the
expectations can be made clear so that people learn themselves too about the e-documentation
reading, verifying and knowing the differences in the forged and original ones are important. The
background data has to be clear where the people under scanner should be known to all systems
so that the detection is done at the very inception.
The activities proposed can make the systems better to let the working of the airport security
apparatus go well. The masked or the tarnished person on the list needs special care and so the
needful clearances for all to know the details of the travelers are important. The training too is of
importance where the people learn to modify the knowledge and add on to it.
56

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
Appendix 1
Qualitative Questions
1. What do you feel about the gadgets and people in the Airport Security?
2. Do you feel confident about the ways and methods of the security apparatus in here?
3. Is more training and drills needed for improvements?
57

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
Appendix 2
Quantitative Questions
1. Perception of utility of the Gadgets in use:
- Very High
- High
- Poor
- Very Poor
2. Knowledge of the staffs in the area regarding the security drills and ways to handle:.
- Very well trained
- Well Trained
- Trained
- Needs more training
3. The training needs of the people working in that area:
- Highly trained
- Well Trained
- Trained
- Needs More training
58

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
4. The quality of people and gadgets in use:
- Very satisfied
- Satisfied
- Not satisfied
- Very Unsatisfied
59

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
References:
Arce, D. G. (2019). On the human consequences of terrorism. Public Choice; Volume 178, Issue
3–4, 371–396.
BOROTA, C. M. (n.d.). PRINTING TECHNIQUES USED TO SECURE BORDER
CROSSING DOCUMENTS. International Journal of Criminal Investigation; Volume 2;
Issue 1, 31-40.
Bozhkova, T., Spiridonov, I., & Shterev, K. (2017). Overview of security printing types and
trends in its future development. Bulgarian Chemical Communications, Volume 49,
Special issue L, 195-201.
D. G. Controls Limited . (2017). The roles of ICAO & FAA in Aviation. Retrieved from
https://beaconlamps.com/blog/the-roles-of-icao-faa-in-aviation-3204
Fan, Z., Eschbach, R., Wang, S.-g., & Bala, R. (2008). Security Printing in Digital Age .
http://www.imaging.org/site/PDFS/Papers/2008/ICISH-0-909/42782.pdf: Xerox
Corporation; Webster.
Gemalto. (2019). What is the difference between a Machine Readable Passport and an
epassport? Retrieved from https://www.justaskgemalto.com/en/what-is-the-difference-
between-a-machine-readable-passport-and-an-epassport/
Gemalto NV. (2019). High security printing for passport: The 2018 expert's guide. Retrieved
from https://www.gemalto.com/govt/travel/security-printing
Jackson, B. A., & Frelinger, D. R. (2009). Understanding Why Terrorist Operations Succeed or
Fail.
60

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
Lehmacher, W. (2017). Why border controls won't protect Europe against terrorism. Retrieved
from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/01/border-controls-schengen-europe-
terrorism/
Mackenzie, D. (2010). ICAO: A History of the International Civil Aviation Organization.
University of Toronto Press.
Macmillanihe. (2018). Choosing qualitative or quantitative research methodologies. Retrieved
from https://www.macmillanihe.com/studentstudyskills/page/choosing-appropriate-
research-methodologies/
McCarthy, N. (2017). The Global Economic Impact Of Terrorism [Infographic]. Retrieved from
https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2017/11/16/the-global-economic-impact-of-
terrorism-infographic/#4fc6dec31d0f
Mohanti, B. K. (2017). Health impact is the invisible side of terrorism. MEDICINE AND
SOCIETY; Volume- 30; Issue- 5, 285-286.
National Counter Terrorism Center . (2018). Planning and Preparedness Can Promote an
Effective Response to a Terrorist Attack at Open-Access Events.
ORAU. (2018). Differences Between Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods. Retrieved
from
https://www.orau.gov/cdcynergy/soc2web/content/phase05/phase05_step03_deeper_qual
itative_and_quantitative.htm
Overseas Security Advisory Council of the US . (2018). Oman 2018 Crime & Safety Report.
61

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
Research Methodology. (2018). Inductive Approach (Inductive Reasoning). Retrieved from
https://research-methodology.net/research-methodology/research-approach/inductive-
approach-2/
Research Methodology. (2018). Positivism Research Philosophy. Retrieved from
https://research-methodology.net/research-philosophy/positivism/
Research Methodology. (2019). Case Studies. Retrieved from
https://research-methodology.net/research-methods/qualitative-research/case-studies/
Siciliano, M. (2007). ePassports: Examining the benefits. Retrieved from
https://www.internationalairportreview.com/article/1411/epassports-examining-the-
benefits/
Social Research Methods. (2006). Deduction & Induction. Retrieved from
https://socialresearchmethods.net/kb/dedind.php
StatPac Inc. (2017). Research Methods. Retrieved from
https://www.statpac.com/surveys/research-methods.htm
The Conversation Media Group Ltd. (2018). Airport security threats: combating the enemy
within. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/airport-security-threats-combating-
the-enemy-within-106271
The Institute for Economics & Peace . (2016). Global Terrorism Index.
The Times of Oman. (2018). Oman safest place in world with no terrorism incidents: report.
Retrieved from https://timesofoman.com/article/271942/Oman/Oman-safest-place-in-
world-with-no-terrorism-incidents-report
62

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
The US Department of State. (2017). Chapter 1. Country Reports: Middle East and North Africa.
The US Department of State.
United Nations. (2018). Border Management and Law Enforcement relating to Counter-
Terrorism. Retrieved from https://www.un.org/counterterrorism/ctitf/en/border-
management-and-law-enforcement-relating-counter-terrorism
US Department of State. (2019). Bureau of Counterterrorism and Countering Violent Extremism.
Retrieved from https://www.state.gov/j/ct/
Wagner, D. (2003). Terrorism's Impact on International Relations. Retrieved from
https://www.irmi.com/articles/expert-commentary/terrorism's-impact-on-international-
relations
63