Explaining Organizational Employee Computer Abuse Through an Extended Health Belief Model

Abstract

This study is set out to examine the determinants that drive preventive/protective as well as abusive behaviors among employees in the context of information security by extending the health belief model - a model set out to explain and predict healthy behaviors in human beings. A field experiment, accompanied by an online surveys in two financial organizations in the US and India is conducted, measuring employees’ actual security behaviors. We identified factors (perceived susceptibility, perceived barriers, and self-efficacy) that have the largest effect on employee’s security behaviors. We offer several theoretical contributions and implications for practice.

Keywords: health belief mode, employee compliance, computer abuse, security compliance, employee security