Understanding employee responses to stressful information security requirements: A coping perspective

Journal article


D'Arcy, John, Herath, Tejaswini and Shoss, Mindy Michelle. (2014). Understanding employee responses to stressful information security requirements: A coping perspective. Journal of Management Information Systems. https://doi.org/10.2753/MIS0742-1222310210
AuthorsD'Arcy, John, Herath, Tejaswini and Shoss, Mindy Michelle
Abstract

We use coping theory to explore an underlying relationship between employee stress caused by burdensome, complex, and ambiguous information security requirements (termed "security-related stress" or SRS) and deliberate information security policy (ISP) violations. Results from a survey of 539 employee users suggest that SRS engenders an emotion-focused coping response in the form of moral disengagement from ISP violations, which in turn increases one's susceptibility to this behavior. Our multidimensional view of SRS—comprised of security-related overload, complexity, and uncertainty—offers a new perspective on the workplace environment factors that foster noncompliant user behavior and inspire cognitive rationalizations of such behavior. The study extends technostress research to the information systems security domain and provides a theoretical framework for the influence of SRS on user behavior. For practitioners, the results highlight the incidence of SRS in organizations and suggest potential mechanisms to counter the stressful effects of information security requirements.

Keywordscoping theory; ethical orientation; information security; moral disengagement theory; sanctions; security compliance; security policies; security policy violation; social cognitive theory; technostress; workplace stress
Year2014
JournalJournal of Management Information Systems
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.2753/MIS0742-1222310210
Research GroupCentre for Sustainable HRM and Wellbeing
Publisher's version
File Access Level
Controlled
EditorsV. Zwass
Permalink -

https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/item/8q7x8/understanding-employee-responses-to-stressful-information-security-requirements-a-coping-perspective

Restricted files

Publisher's version

  • 223
    total views
  • 0
    total downloads
  • 0
    views this month
  • 0
    downloads this month
These values are for the period from 19th October 2020, when this repository was created.

Export as

Related outputs

Understanding recovery and resilience from natural disasters in hospitality organizations
Horan, Kristin A., Scott, Blake, Farzan, Ahlam, Ortíz-Aponte, Marian L., Rivera-García, Alejandra, Marshall, Jennifer, Masys, Anthony J., Shoss, Mindy, Campos, Adriana and Orta-Anés, Lida. (2021). Understanding recovery and resilience from natural disasters in hospitality organizations. Journal of Emergency Management. 19(8), pp. 109-121. https://doi.org/10.5055/jem.0643
Suffering in silence: Investigating the role of fear in the relationship between abusive supervision and defensive silence
Kiewitz, Christian, Restubog, Simon Lloyd D., Shoss, Mindy Michelle, Garcia, Patrick R. J. M. and Tang, Robert L.. (2016). Suffering in silence: Investigating the role of fear in the relationship between abusive supervision and defensive silence. Journal of Applied Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000074
Doing bad to feel better? An investigation of within-and between-person perceptions of counterproductive work behavior as a coping tactic
Shoss, Mindy Michelle, Jundt, Dustin K., Kobler, Allison and Reynolds, Clair A.. (2016). Doing bad to feel better? An investigation of within-and between-person perceptions of counterproductive work behavior as a coping tactic. Journal of Business Ethics. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-015-2573-9
Work-family conflict and social undermining behaviour: An examination of PO fit and gender differences
Scott, Kristin, Ingram, Amy, Zagenczyk, Thomas J. and Shoss, Mindy Michelle. (2015). Work-family conflict and social undermining behaviour: An examination of PO fit and gender differences. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1111/joop.12091
In the Eye of the beholder: A multi-stakeholder perspective of organizational citizenship and counterproductive work behaviors
Reynolds, Clair A., Shoss, Mindy Michelle and Jundt, Dustin K.. (2015). In the Eye of the beholder: A multi-stakeholder perspective of organizational citizenship and counterproductive work behaviors. Human Resource Management Review. https://doi.org/10.5465/AMBPP.2014.13711abstract
Social influence and leader perceptions: Multiplex social network ties and similarity in leader-member exchange
Zagenczyk, Thomas J., Purvis, Russell L., Shoss, Mindy Michelle, Scott, Kristin and Cruz, Kevin S.. (2015). Social influence and leader perceptions: Multiplex social network ties and similarity in leader-member exchange. Journal of Business and Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-013-9332-7
The interactive effect of leader-member exchange and perceived organizational support on employee adaptive performance
Sweet, Kenneth M., Witt, L. Alan and Shoss, Mindy Michelle. (2015). The interactive effect of leader-member exchange and perceived organizational support on employee adaptive performance. Journal of Organizational Psychology.
Going beyond workplace stressors: Economic crisis and perceived employability in relation to psychological distress and job
Giorgi, Gabriele, Shoss, Mindy Michelle and Leon-Perez, Jose. (2015). Going beyond workplace stressors: Economic crisis and perceived employability in relation to psychological distress and job. International Journal of Stress Management. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0038900
Individual adaptive performance in organizations: A review
Jundt, Dustin K., Shoss, Mindy Michelle and Huang, Jason L.. (2015). Individual adaptive performance in organizations: A review. Journal of Organizational Behavior. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.1955
The supervisor POS-LMX-subordinate POS chain: Moderation by reciprocation wariness and supervisor's organizational embodiment
Eisenberger, Robert, Shoss, Mindy Michelle, Karagonlar, Gokhan, Gonzalez-Morales, M. Gloria, Wickham, Robert E. and Buffardi, Louis C.. (2014). The supervisor POS-LMX-subordinate POS chain: Moderation by reciprocation wariness and supervisor's organizational embodiment. Journal of Organizational Behavior. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.1877
Exploring personal and organizational determinants of workplace bullying and its prevalance in a Japanese sample
Giorgi, Gabriele, Ando, Mikayo, Arenas, Alicia, Shoss, Mindy Michelle and Leon-Perez, Jose. (2013). Exploring personal and organizational determinants of workplace bullying and its prevalance in a Japanese sample. Psychology of Violence. 3(2), pp. 185 - 197. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0028049
Blaming the organization for abusive supervision: The roles of perceived organizational support and supervisor's organizational embodiment
Shoss, Mindy Michelle, Eisenberger, Robert, Restubog, Simon Lloyd D. and Zagenczyk, Thomas J.. (2013). Blaming the organization for abusive supervision: The roles of perceived organizational support and supervisor's organizational embodiment. Journal of Applied Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0030687
My boss is probably the devil! Exploring employees' online vents
Shoss, Mindy Michelle, Maurer, Allison H. and Rupprecht, Elizabeth A.. (2013). My boss is probably the devil! Exploring employees' online vents. In In W. J. Zerbe, N. M. Ashkanasy and C. E. J. Hartel (Ed.). Individual sources, dynamics, and expressions of emotion
When does adaptive performance lead to higher task performance?
Shoss, Mindy Michelle, Witt, Lawrence Alan and Vera, Dusya. (2012). When does adaptive performance lead to higher task performance? Journal of Organizational Behavior. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.780
PERMA: A model for institutional leadership and culture change
Slavin, Stuart J., Schindler, Debra, Chibnall, John T., Fendell, Ginny and Shoss, Mindy Michelle. (2012). PERMA: A model for institutional leadership and culture change. Academic Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0b013e31826c525a
Use and helpfulness of self-administered stress management therapy in patients undergoing cancer chemotherapy in community clinical settings
Loi, Claudia X. A., Taylor, Teletia R., McMillan, Susan, Gross-King, Margaret, Xu, Ping, Shoss, Mindy Michelle and Huegel, Viki. (2012). Use and helpfulness of self-administered stress management therapy in patients undergoing cancer chemotherapy in community clinical settings. Journal of Psychosocial Oncology.
The economy and absenteeism: A macro-level study
Shoss, Mindy Michelle and Penny, Lisa M.. (2012). The economy and absenteeism: A macro-level study. Journal of Applied Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0026953
Multilevel outcomes of economic stress: An agenda for future research
Shoss, Mindy Michelle and Probst, Tahira M.. (2012). Multilevel outcomes of economic stress: An agenda for future research. In In P. L. Perrewe, J. R. B. Halbesleben and C. C. Rosen (Ed.). The role of the economic crisis on occupational stress and well being
Check-up time: A closer look at physical symptoms in occupational health research
Shoss, Mindy Michelle and Shoss, Bradley Leone. (2012). Check-up time: A closer look at physical symptoms in occupational health research. Stress and Health. https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.1422