Intentions of Employees to Whistleblow Information Security Policy Violations in the Organization

Compliance with information security policies has been an important managerial concern in organizations. Unlike traditional general deterrent theory, this study proposes whistle-blowing as an alternative approach for reducing internal information security policy violations. We build on the theories of planned behavior and rational choice as well as develop a theoretical model to understand the factors that influence whistle-blowing attitudes and intention at both the organizational and individual levels. Our empirical results reveal that altruistic and egoistic concerns are involved in the development of whistle-blowing attitudes. The results not only extend our understanding of whistle-blowing motivation but also offer directions to managers in promoting internal disclosure of information security breaches.