Do we protect what we own?: A proposed neurophysiological exploration of workplace information protection motivation

Abstract

Part-time and temporary employees and contractors become a major cybersecurity threat for organizations due to the ephemeral nature of their engagement. Compared with full-time employees, they may be less commited to the welfare of the organization and, therefore, less willing to engage in security recommendations to protect it. Perceived psychological ownership is an important factor that shapes employees’ security behaviors. The endowment effect also explains employees’ tendencies to overvalue information that belongs to them, and conversely, extend fewer protections to information that they view as belonging to others. Thus, employees may be more motivated to safeguard their own information than organizational information. From a principle-agent perspective, this study investigates how three types of employees perceive organizational and personal information, and how different employees make decisions about protecting their own versus organizational information.