The Influence of Emotions on Employees' Cybersecurity Protection Motivation Behaviour: Examining the Mediating Effect of Self-Efficacy and Moderating Role of Cybersecurity Awareness

Abstract

Cyber threats at the employee level are a complex issue that needs more attention. Psychological research shows that emotions influence individuals' motivation to engage in cybersecurity practices. Most existing studies focus on how external factors affect employees' cybersecurity behaviours, including risk perception, rational decision making in cybersecurity policies, security regulations, compliance, and ethical behaviour. However, research into employees' internal capabilities and psychological factors, such as emotions, that enable them to protect organisational information assets is still in its early stages. Therefore, this thesis aims to explore the influence of employees' emotions on their cybersecurity protection motivation behaviours within Saudi Arabia’s context. The research highlights self-efficacy as a mediating factor and cybersecurity awareness as a moderating factor. This thesis is underpinned by the Broaden and Build Theory (BBT) and Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) to explore the influence of negative and positive emotions on employees' cybersecurity protection motivation behaviour. Moreover, it adopted a deductive research design, employing a quantitative approach through an online survey, resulting in 383 responses from participants at King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia. The data were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) via SmartPLS 4 software, which included measurement and structural model assessments. The study found that negative emotions do not influence employees' self-efficiency or motivation to protect themselves. Moreover, it found that self-efficacy does not mediate the relationship between negative emotions and employees' protection motivation behaviour. However, positive emotions positively influence employees' self-efficacy and protection motivation behaviour. In addition, self-efficacy positively mediates the relationship between positive emotions and employees’ protection motivation behaviour. Regarding cybersecurity awareness, it was found that it positively influences employees' protection motivation. Moreover, it also moderates the relationships between positive emotions and self-efficacy and protection motivation behaviour, and between self-efficacy and protection motivation behaviour. The study contributes to cybersecurity by showing how emotions influence protective behaviours. It introduces a novel model based on BBT and PMT, exploring how emotions influence employees' self-efficacy and protection motivation behaviour. Moreover, the study's empirical findings address a gap by focusing on how emotions influence cybersecurity protection motivation behaviours.