Fear Can Inspire Remote Workers to Protect IT Resources

Obvious?  Perhaps, but some combination with stewardship  ...

Fear Can Inspire Remote Workers to Protect IT Resources

Washington State University, Will Ferguson, January 11, 2023

A study by researchers at Washington State University (WSU), the University of North Texas, and Oklahoma State University found that remote workers are most motivated to protect their employer's IT security when they fear the consequences of a security breach and understand the seriousness of potential security threats. The study compared protection motivation theory, which involves encouraging secure behaviors using fear appeals and threat messages; stewardship theory, which involves motivating employee behavior through moral responsibility; and a combination of the two. In a survey of 339 workers, the researchers found an approach that focused on fear and threats was more effective than a stewardship-based approach, but that promoting the stewardship theory's sense of collectivism increased the efficacy of protection motivation-based methods. ... '