Storming in agent recruitment: Evidence from declassified Soviet secret service files

Using recently declassified data from 1961-1990, we find that the recruitment of secret service (KGB) agents in Latvia, then part of the Soviet Union, evolved in cycles with mid-year and year-end surges. These persistent activity surges, also known as storming, occurred at the end of required report...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of economic behavior & organization 2022-08, Vol.200, p.973-990
Main Author: Lskavyan, Vahe
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cycles
KGB
Recruitment
Soviet Union
Storming
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Summary:Using recently declassified data from 1961-1990, we find that the recruitment of secret service (KGB) agents in Latvia, then part of the Soviet Union, evolved in cycles with mid-year and year-end surges. These persistent activity surges, also known as storming, occurred at the end of required reporting periods and resemble the behavior in the rest of the planned Soviet economy. Our findings demonstrate that storming characterized more than just the production of goods - it was also present in one of the most important state security agencies. We also find that storming in recruitment was more likely in strategically less important areas and among the less educated individuals.
ISSN:0167-2681
1879-1751
DOI:10.1016/j.jebo.2022.07.001