Did Nick Leeson have an Accomplice? the Role of Information Technology in the Collapse of Barings Bank

Authors

Helga Drummond, The Management School, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3BX, UKFollow

Document Type

Research Article

Abstract

This paper analyses how Nick Leeson exploited information technology (IT) in order to trade without authority and thereby causing Barings Bank to collapse. What emerges suggests that, not only can IT systems enable malfeasance on a large scale, but that very little specialist knowledge is required in order to turn the computer into an accomplice. The most disturbing feature of the Barings Bank debacle is the contrast between the mundane act of suppressing a control mechanism and the consequences that flowed from this act. It is argued that organizational security ultimately lies in knowing the limits of one's information.

DOI

10.1080/0268396032000101153

Recommended Citation

Drummond, Helga (2003) "Did Nick Leeson have an Accomplice? the Role of Information Technology in the Collapse of Barings Bank," Journal of Information Technology: Vol. 18: Iss. 2, Article 2.
DOI: 10.1080/0268396032000101153
Available at: https://aisel.aisnet.org/jit/vol18/iss2/2