Search for: All records

In the face of increasingly common (and costly) cyberattacks, many organizations have focused their security investments largely on technological solutions. However, in many cases, attacks rely not on an outsider’s ability to crack an organization’s technical defenses, but rather on an internal employee knowingly or unknowingly letting a bad actor in. But what motivates these employees’ actions? A recent study suggests that the vast majority of intentional policy breaches stem not from some malicious desire to cause harm, but rather, from the perception that following the rules would impede employees’ ability to get their work done effectively. The study further found that employees were more likely to violate policy on days when they were more stressed out, suggesting that high stress levels can reduce people’s tolerance for following rules that seem to get in the way of doing their jobs. In light of these findings, the authors suggest several ways in which organizations should rethink their approach to cybersecurity and implement policies that address the real, underlying factors creating vulnerabilities. 

In this study, the effectiveness of emphasizing concern for well-being in COVID-19 crisis communication messages was examined as an extension of the IDEA model. Using theory from organizational behavior, it was hypothesized that individuals whose institutions demonstrate concern for their well-being in a COVID-19 message would be more likely to report intentions to engage in prosocial behavior. Two messages, which differed only through an added emphasis on concern for well-being, were randomly displayed to 770 participants in an online survey. After reading the message about an increase in COVID-19 cases, participants answered questions meant to gauge intentions relevant to COVID-19 behavior. Results identified significant relationships between message group (control vs. experimental) and intentions related to going to indoor events, wearing a mask, and practicing social distancing. These relationships were in the opposite direction as what was hypothesized, showing that emphasizing concern for well-being could contribute to risky behavioral intentions. Because subgroup analyses indicated that this effect was primarily found amongst individuals who did not change their behavior as a result of the pandemic, further research is needed to determine whether institutions and their communities benefit from messages that demonstrate a concern for well-being.