Purpose

This study aims to investigate how cultural factors – specifically power distance (PD) and uncertainty avoidance (UA) – affect employees’ use of neutralization techniques to rationalize deviant information systems (IS) behaviors. The goal is to enhance strategies for managing insider threats and improving security policies.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional survey was used to examine how national culture affects neutralization strategies related to IS misuse. A scenario-based survey was used to gather data from 292 employees, stressing four top ranked IS deviant behaviors in Ethiopian organizations. Using SmartPLS 4.0 software, the study validates measurement and structural models using partial least squares structural equation modeling. It then uses bootstrapping procedures to assess hypotheses that predict the use of justifications in situations of IS misuse.

Findings

The research finds that all four neutralization techniques – appeal to higher loyalty, claim of normalcy, defense of necessity and denial of responsibility – significantly predicted employees’ IS deviant use intention behaviors. PD and UA cultures also significantly influence IS deviant use intention, with neutralization techniques mediating this relationship, validating the model’s predictive relevance.

Research limitations/implications

The reliance on self-reported data and a cross-sectional design may limit the accuracy and causal inference of the findings. Additionally, the focus on Ethiopian respondents may restrict generalizability, highlighting the need for research in diverse contexts. Future studies could explore longitudinal or experimental designs and examine neutralization techniques and knowledge management to understand IS security.

Originality/value

This study introduces a novel model illustrating how cultural values, such as PD and UA, influence employees’ use of neutralization techniques to justify deviant behavior in Ethiopian organizations. It emphasizes the mediating role of these techniques and the need for culturally tailored anti-neutralization strategies and effective security awareness programs.

中文翻译：

---

员工消除异常信息系统安全行为背后的文化驱动因素

 目的

本研究旨在调查文化因素——特别是权力距离 （PD） 和不确定性规避 （UA）——如何影响员工使用中和技术来合理化异常信息系统 （IS） 行为。目标是增强管理内部威胁和改进安全策略的策略。

设计/方法/方法

横断面调查用于检查民族文化如何影响与 IS 滥用相关的中和策略。一项基于情景的调查用于收集 292 名员工的数据，强调了埃塞俄比亚组织中排名靠前的四种 IS 越轨行为。使用 SmartPLS 4.0 软件，该研究使用偏最小二乘结构方程建模验证测量和结构模型。然后，它使用引导程序来评估假设，这些假设可以预测在 IS 滥用情况下使用理由。

 发现

研究发现，所有四种中和技术——诉诸更高的忠诚度、声称正常、捍卫必要性和否认责任——都显着预测了员工的 IS 越轨使用意图行为。PD 和 UA 培养也显着影响 IS 偏离使用意向，中和技术介导这种关系，验证了模型的预测相关性。

研究局限性/影响

对自我报告数据和横断面设计的依赖可能会限制研究结果的准确性和因果推断。此外，对埃塞俄比亚受访者的关注可能会限制普遍性，突出了在不同背景下进行研究的必要性。未来的研究可以探索纵向或实验设计，并检查中和技术和知识管理，以了解 IS 安全性。

 原创性/价值

本研究引入了一种新的模型，说明了 PD 和 UA 等文化价值观如何影响员工使用中和技术来证明埃塞俄比亚组织中的越轨行为是合理的。它强调了这些技术的中介作用以及针对文化定制的反中立化策略和有效的安全意识计划的必要性。