| Protecting economic activity is synonymous with protecting community resilience. Without Business Continuity Planning (BCP) the enterprise and its stakeholders may not survive. For important initiatives, corporations turn to the investment community for funding. Fortune 500(TM) companies are industry and economic role models that drive innovation down to their suppliers and customers and thus across the economy. Investment decisions are based on risk-reward. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the amount of financial and reputational risk to which three of America's largest corporations were subject. The resultant view of the risks overcome would afford a measure of understanding of the effort and resources required in meeting those risks. Risks that are not alleviated could cause the company to flounder, endangering the economy. Important corporate initiatives are publicized in annual reports, showcased during stockholder meetings or reported to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). This study analyzed the contents of required SEC 10-K filings by the three largest members of the Fortune 500(TM) retail sector. Qualitative content analysis searched for risk events borne by these companies. Each time a risk event was mentioned, it was coded to identify it as domestic or international and to identify the type of risk. Each mention of a risk event and the risk type was quantified and charted. The analysis demonstrated either material risk was mitigated through the availability of financial resources, or risks large enough to endanger the survival of these corporations were not encountered. One of the subjects, however, did suffer severe damage to its reputation difficult to overcome and still resonates throughout the marketplace.;Keywords: BCP, business continuity, qualitative, Fortune 500, risk factor. |
