Quality matters: Evoking subjective norms and coping appraisals by system design to increase security intentions

摘要

The efficacy of direct messages such as threats, warnings, reminders, and training for influencing information security intentions is well established. Despite the pervasiveness of these approaches, users' poor adherence to security best practices remains a significant problem. Thus, it is critical that new approaches for improving security intentions are explored. System quality is known to play an important role in many aspects of information systems interactions, however, its effect on security intentions has not been established. In this paper, we develop and test a theoretical model that extends protection motivation theory and the theory of planned behavior to describe how system quality evokes positive social norms, lowers threat appraisal, and increases coping appraisal to influence intentions of secure behavior. The hypotheses were tested using a laboratory experiment. The results suggest that system quality positively influences social norms and coping appraisals to enhance security intentions. Threat appraisals, however, were unaffected. These findings illustrate how system quality can influence users' security intentions and perceptions of the efficacy of their actions without using direct messaging to warn, train, or reassure them. This technique gives researchers and developers new tools that can influence users to engage in desired behaviors.