Power Distance as a Variable in Assessing Employees' Behavior towards Information Security Policy Compliance in a High-Power Distance Society: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

Information security is a concern of every business, therefore the need for employees to comply with a policy that would protect the organization's assets.  The model developed for this research was based on Protection Motivation Theory, Theory of Planned Behavior, and Rational Choice Theory.  There were 129 responses from Nigeria used to validate the model.  The data analysis using PLS-SEM resulted in these findings: self-efficacy, normative beliefs, and power distance were significant, therefore impacting.  Therefore, not significant descriptive norms did not positively impact intention to comply with information security policy.  Power distance was impactful on employees' intention to comply with information system policy and contributed to theory and practice; respondents chose to do right by their intention to comply with information security policy.  Training and managerial oversight in policy compliance are significant since those actions would help protect the organization's information.  The analysis showed the adverse effect of a high correlation between indicators of different constructs.