Predicting employee information security policy compliance on a daily basis: The interplay of security-related stress,emotions, and neutralization

We conceptualized security-related stress (SRS) and proposed a theoretical model linking SRS, discrete emotions, coping response, and information security policy (ISP) compliance. We used an experience sampling design, wherein 138 professionals completed surveys. We observed that SRS had a positive association with frustration and fatigue, and these negative emotions were associated with neutralization of ISP violations. Additionally, frustration and fatigue make employees more likely to follow through on their rationalizations of ISP violations by decreased ISP compliance. Our findings provide evidence that neutralization is not a completely stable phenomenon but can vary within individuals from one time point to another.