Heeding the Messenger: The Influence of Sender Characteristics on Security Message Compliance Intentions

Fuente: Wiley Open Access
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Autori principali: Sebastian Walter Schuetz, Gaurav Bansal, Qin Weng, Paul Benjamin Lowry, Jason Bennett Thatcher
Natura: Artículo Open Access
Pubblicazione: Wiley 2025
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author Sebastian Walter Schuetz
Gaurav Bansal
Qin Weng
Paul Benjamin Lowry
Jason Bennett Thatcher
author_facet Sebastian Walter Schuetz
Gaurav Bansal
Qin Weng
Paul Benjamin Lowry
Jason Bennett Thatcher
Sebastian Walter Schuetz
Gaurav Bansal
Qin Weng
Paul Benjamin Lowry
Jason Bennett Thatcher
collection Wiley Open Access
contents Heeding the Messenger: The Influence of Sender Characteristics on Security Message Compliance Intentions Sebastian Walter Schuetz Gaurav Bansal Qin Weng Paul Benjamin Lowry Jason Bennett Thatcher Information Systems Journal ABSTRACT How security messages can be used to motivate information technology (IT) users' security behaviour has been of keen interest to IS research. To that end, studies have focused on the content of security messages; however, few studies have examined the influence of message senders. In this article, we build on social influence theory and integrate it with the concept of inferences of manipulative intent (IMI) to develop a model that examines how perceptions of sender characteristics—cybersecurity expertise, coercive power, and similarity—can yield positive and negative influence on message outcomes, captured in recipients' message compliance intentions. We test our model in four different studies using field and scenario experiments across three target populations: the general public, students, and employees. Perceived expertise, power, and similarity had similar effects among the general public and students: Perceived expertise was positively associated with message outcomes, but perceived power and similarity were negatively associated. In contrast, employees reacted differently from the general public and students in that they responded positively to perceived power, with perceived expertise and similarity having negligible effects. Across these three target populations, we found that participants reacted to senders high in perceived power and similarity with IMI, which reduced their message compliance intentions. Our results suggest that senders must be chosen carefully, depending on the target population, because selecting the wrong sender can increase the likelihood of a message being rejected. 10.1111/isj.70013 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor
doi_str_mv 10.1111/isj.70013
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id wiley_oa_10_1111_isj_70013
institution Wiley Open Access
license_str_mv http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor
publishDate 2025
publisher Wiley
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spellingShingle Heeding the Messenger: The Influence of Sender Characteristics on Security Message Compliance Intentions
Sebastian Walter Schuetz
Gaurav Bansal
Qin Weng
Paul Benjamin Lowry
Jason Bennett Thatcher
Information Systems Journal
Heeding the Messenger: The Influence of Sender Characteristics on Security Message Compliance Intentions Sebastian Walter Schuetz Gaurav Bansal Qin Weng Paul Benjamin Lowry Jason Bennett Thatcher Information Systems Journal ABSTRACT How security messages can be used to motivate information technology (IT) users' security behaviour has been of keen interest to IS research. To that end, studies have focused on the content of security messages; however, few studies have examined the influence of message senders. In this article, we build on social influence theory and integrate it with the concept of inferences of manipulative intent (IMI) to develop a model that examines how perceptions of sender characteristics—cybersecurity expertise, coercive power, and similarity—can yield positive and negative influence on message outcomes, captured in recipients' message compliance intentions. We test our model in four different studies using field and scenario experiments across three target populations: the general public, students, and employees. Perceived expertise, power, and similarity had similar effects among the general public and students: Perceived expertise was positively associated with message outcomes, but perceived power and similarity were negatively associated. In contrast, employees reacted differently from the general public and students in that they responded positively to perceived power, with perceived expertise and similarity having negligible effects. Across these three target populations, we found that participants reacted to senders high in perceived power and similarity with IMI, which reduced their message compliance intentions. Our results suggest that senders must be chosen carefully, depending on the target population, because selecting the wrong sender can increase the likelihood of a message being rejected. 10.1111/isj.70013 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor
title Heeding the Messenger: The Influence of Sender Characteristics on Security Message Compliance Intentions
topic Information Systems Journal
url https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/isj.70013