Factors Influencing Nigerian Workers’ Participation in Unhygienic Cyber Practices

ABSTRACT:

Employee participation in unhygienic cyber practices is a growing concern in organizations across the globe. Using the social cognitive theory, this study used relevant factors classified under personal cognitive or personal factors (i.e., self-efficacy and self-regulation) and environmental factor (i.e., security, education, training, and awareness (SETA) programs) to investigate the effects of aforementioned factors on behavioral factor, i.e., unhygienic cyber practices. A cross-sectional survey of Nigerian working professionals was used to test the formulated hypotheses. Partial least squares technique of structural equation modeling (SEM) was used for data analysis. The main results indicate that self-efficacy and self-regulation negatively influence workers’ participation in unhygienic cyber practices. SETA programs was found to have strong influences on employees’ self-efficacy and self-regulation in the context of cyber security practices. Implications of the study for research and practice were succinctly discussed.

Keywords:

Cyber Hygiene, Social Cognitive Theory, Information Security, Employee, Survey, PLS, Nigeria.