The influence of organizational culture on information governance effectiveness

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 18-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Daneshmandnia
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Culture ◽  
Information Security ◽  
It Professionals ◽  
Content Type ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Security Officers ◽  
Information Governance ◽  
Competition Result ◽  
Governance Processes ◽  
And Control

Purpose This paper aims to explore the impact of organizational culture on information governance (IG) effectiveness at higher education institutions (HEIs). IT professionals, such as chef information officers, chief technology officers, chief information security officers and IT directors at HEIs were surveyed and interviewed to learn about whether organizational culture influences IG effectiveness. Several IG activities (processes) were identified, including information security, the function of an IG council, the presence of a Record Information Management department, the role of a compliance officer and information stewards and the use of an automated system or software to identify and maintain information life-cycle management. Design/methodology/approach This study was conducted using Cameron and Quinn’s (Cameron and Quinn, 2011) competing value framework. To evaluate organizational culture, using the competing value framework, four types of organizational culture profiles were used: collaboration, creation/innovation, controlling/hierarchy, and competition/result-oriented. The methodology included quantitative and qualitative techniques through the use of content analysis of data collected from participants. IT professionals, such as chef information officers, chief technology officers, chief information security officers and IT directors at HEIs were surveyed and interviewed to learn about whether organizational culture influences IG effectiveness. Findings Findings revealed organizational culture may influence IG effectiveness positively, especially from cultures of competition/result-oriented and control/hierarchy. Qualitatively, it also emerged that competition/result-oriented and control characteristics of organizational culture were perceived by IG professionals to produce more accurate information. One of the characteristics of organizational culture that became evident in the current study, coming from more than one subject, was the challenge in IG due to the presence of information silos. Trust, on the other hand, has been highlighted as the glue which can enable and drive governance processes in an organization. Research limitations/implications The current study was conducted based on HEIs. While the current study serves as a baseline for studying IG in other institutions, its results cannot be generalized for other type of institutions. The results cannot be generalized for other types of not-for-profit or for-profit organizations. Many of the characteristics of the sample data were specific to HEIs. For instance, financial, manufacturing and health-care institutions present challenges inherent in those institutions. Originality/value Trust has been highlighted as the glue which can enable and drive governance processes in an organization. Respondents of current study have indicated that trust serving several different factors toward IG effectiveness, including freedom to speak freely in the meeting about impact of organizational culture on IG, wiliness of executives of administration, particularly the CIO, to communicate IG matters to institution, sharing information and being transparent, entrusting help desk staff and technical supervisors so users can communicate with them and share their concerns and perceiving “feeling of trust” in the organization, which would benefit the institution, allowing stakeholders to collaborate and work together to overcome issues when facing IG challenges.

Big Data information governance by accountants

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 153-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily M. Coyne ◽  
Joshua G. Coyne ◽  
Kenton B. Walker
Keyword(s):  
Big Data ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Accounting Profession ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Data Life Cycle ◽  
Information Governance ◽  
And Control ◽  
Strong Ability

Purpose Big Data has become increasingly important to multiple facets of the accounting profession, but accountants have little understanding of the steps necessary to convert Big Data into useful information. This limited understanding creates a gap between what accountants can do and what accountants should do to assist in Big Data information governance. The study aims to bridge this gap in two ways. Design/methodology/approach First, the study introduces a model of the Big Data life cycle to explain the process of converting Big Data into information. Knowledge of this life cycle is a first step toward enabling accountants to engage in Big Data information governance. Second, it highlights informational and control risks inherent to this life cycle, and identifies information governance activities and agents that can minimize these risks. Findings Because accountants have a strong ability to identify the informational and control needs of internal and external decision-makers, they should play a significant role in Big Data information governance. Originality/value This model of the Big Data life cycle and information governance provides a first attempt to formalize knowledge that accountants need in a new field of the accounting profession.

Conceptualising integrated thinking in practice

2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 228-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judy Oliver ◽  
Gillian Vesty ◽  
Albie Brooks
Keyword(s):  
Systems Thinking ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Integrated Reporting ◽  
Content Type ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Not For Profit ◽  
And Control ◽  
Measurement And Control ◽  
Health And Well Being

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to offer theoretical and practical insights on the ways in which integrated thinking is observed in practice. Integrated thinking is linked to integrated reporting, and described as an attribute or capacity for senior management to constructively manage tensions between the multiple capitals (manufactured, intellectual, human, natural, social and relationship as well as financial capital) in strategy, resource allocation, performance measurement and control. Design/methodology/approach – A theoretical framework is developed from the accounting and systems thinking literature, linking integrated thinking to sustainability. Soft versus hard integrated thinking approaches are applied to contrast the siloed management of sustainability with a model that focuses on relationships and broader indicators of societal health and well-being. Practical illustrations of the conceptualised framework are presented for discussion and for further empirical research. Findings – The illustrative examples offer a diversity of corporate, government and not-for-profit viewpoints, providing evidence of both hard and soft integrated thinking in practice. Valuable insights are provided into innovative approaches that foster and make explicit the soft integrated thinking skills and map them to broader societal outcomes. Research limitations/implications – Potential problems can arise if hard integrated thinking dominates over the soft, and data required for internal management accounting purposes become narrow, linear and segregated. Routines and practices will then be based on quasi-standards, further concealing the soft integrated thinking that might be occurring within the organisation. Originality/value – With theoretical roots in systems thinking, this paper contributes to the relatively underexplored area of integrated thinking in accounting for sustainability.

Understanding employees' information security identities: an interpretive narrative approach

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey D. Wall ◽  
Prashant Palvia
Keyword(s):  
Information Security ◽  
Narrative Analysis ◽  
Life Experiences ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Situational Factors ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Security Compliance ◽  
And Control ◽  
Over Time

PurposeThe authors seek to understand the formation of control- and security-related identities among organizational employees through and interpretive narrative analysis. The authors also seek to identify how the identities form over time and across contexts. Several identities are identified as well as the changes that may occur in the identities.Design/methodology/approachFew interpretive or critical studies exist in behavioral information security research to represent employee perspectives of power and control. Using qualitative interviews and narrative analysis of the interview transcripts, this paper analyzes the security- and control-related identities and values that employees adopt in organizational settings.FindingsTwo major categories of behavioral security compliance identities were identified: compliant and noncompliant. Specific identities within the compliant category included: faithful follower vs the reasoned follower, and other-preserving versus the self-preserving identities. The noncompliant category included: anti-authority identity, utilitarian identity, trusting identity and unaware identity. Furthermore, three patterns of identity changes were observed.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors’ narrative stories suggest that employee identities are complex and multi-faceted, and that they may be fluid and adaptive to situational factors. Future research should avoid assumptions that all employees are the same or that employee beliefs remain constant over time or in different contexts. Identities are also strongly rooted in individuals' rearing and other life experiences. Thus, security control is far broader than is studied in behavioral studies. The authors find that history matters and should be examined carefully.Practical implicationsThe authors’ study provides insights that managers can use to enhance security initiatives. It is clear that different employees build different control-related identities. Managers must understand that their employees are unique and will not all respond to policies, punishments, and other forms of control in the same way. The narratives also suggest that many organizations lack appropriate programs to enhance employees' awareness of security issues.Originality/valueThe authors’ narrative analysis suggests that employee security identities are complex and multi-faceted, and that they are fluid and adaptive to situational factors. Research should avoid assumptions that all employees are the same or that their beliefs remain constant over time or in different contexts. Identities are also strongly rooted in individuals' rearing and other life experiences. Their history matters and should be examined carefully.

Perceived organizational culture and engagement: the mediating role of authenticity

2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 1091-1105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Germano Reis ◽  
Jordi Trullen ◽  
Joana Story
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Culture ◽  
Work Engagement ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Organizational Context ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Stability Order ◽  
Market Cultures ◽  
And Control

Purpose – The idea of being authentic at work is gaining traction in both academia and organizations. The purpose of this paper is to test whether four types of perceived organizational culture (hierarchical, clan, market, and adhocracy) influence employees’ authenticity and whether behaving more authentically at work influences the extent to which employees are engaged with their jobs. Design/methodology/approach – The sample includes 208 professionals working in a variety of industries in Brazil. Hypotheses are tested using structural equation modeling. Findings – Results indicate that environments that are perceived to be more inclusive and participative, and that incentivize autonomy (i.e. clan and adhocracy cultures) neither nurture nor inhibit authenticity. On the other hand, cultures perceived to emphasize stability, order, and control (i.e. hierarchy and market cultures) are negatively related to authenticity. In addition, employees who behave more authentically at work are more engaged with their jobs. Authenticity at work also mediates the relationship between hierarchical and market cultures and work engagement. Originality/value – The authors address the call of Roberts et al. (2009) for more research associated with the role that the organizational context plays in the development of authenticity. With the focus on authenticity the authors broaden the range of work engagement antecedents already discussed in the literature (Christian et al., 2011).

Knowledge management in Mexican NPOs: a comparative study in organizations with a local and national presence

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura E Zapata Cantu ◽  
Carlota Eugenia Mondragon
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Culture ◽  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Explicit Knowledge ◽  
Management Support ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Top Management Support ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Social Actions ◽  
Personal Motivation ◽  
Funding Opportunities

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify those organizational and personal elements that enable not-for-profit organizations (NPOs) to generate and transfer knowledge. NPOs are under pressure to use their financial and human resources efficiently, and to improve their activities and services constantly. Knowledge management as a strategy would ensure NPOs’ sustainability and rapid adaptation to dynamic environments. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative study based on interviews, documents and questionnaires was conducted in 28 Mexican NPOs. Findings – Three main findings were identified: First, Mexican NPOs generate knowledge through courses and seminars based on volunteers’ personal motivation and organizational culture. Second, informal communication media are widely utilized to transfer organizational knowledge. Third, personal commitment to the organization’s mission and trust in their colleagues’ social actions are crucial for knowledge transfer effectiveness, rather than organizational elements. Research limitations/implications – Results scope of this study is limited to the NPOs under study. The findings expose some highlights for knowledge management process in NPOs in Mexico which would be tested in further research. Practical implications – Contrary to knowledge management in profit organizations, NPOs must recognize that personal motivation, commitment and trust in organization’s mission and social actions are crucial rather than organizational culture and top management support. Social implications – NPOs must convert their tacit knowledge to explicit knowledge, which allows NPOs to be transparent and effective, and to have access to more funding opportunities and to replicate their best practices throughout the organization. Originality/value – There are only few studies of knowledge management processes in NPOs. Some considerations have to be done with respect to personal motivation, commitment and trust, as well as organizational elements.

scholarly journals The effect of perceived organizational culture on employees’ information security compliance

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Karlsson ◽  
Fredrik Karlsson ◽  
Joachim Åström ◽  
Thomas Denk
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Culture ◽  
Information Security ◽  
Security Policy ◽  
Organizational Cultures ◽  
Policy Compliance ◽  
Information Security Policy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Security Compliance ◽  
Information Security Policy Compliance ◽  
Security Policy Compliance

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the connection between different perceived organizational cultures and information security policy compliance among white-collar workers. Design/methodology/approach The survey using the Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument was sent to white-collar workers in Sweden (n = 674), asking about compliance with information security policies. The survey instrument is an operationalization of the Competing Values Framework that distinguishes between four different types of organizational culture: clan, adhocracy, market and bureaucracy. Findings The results indicate that organizational cultures with an internal focus are positively related to employees’ information security policy compliance. Differences in organizational culture with regards to control and flexibility seem to have less effect. The analysis shows that a bureaucratic form of organizational culture is most fruitful for fostering employees’ information security policy compliance. Research limitations/implications The results suggest that differences in organizational culture are important for employees’ information security policy compliance. This justifies further investigating the mechanisms linking organizational culture to information security compliance. Practical implications Practitioners should be aware that the different organizational cultures do matter for employees’ information security compliance. In businesses and the public sector, the authors see a development toward customer orientation and marketization, i.e. the opposite an internal focus, that may have negative ramifications for the information security of organizations. Originality/value Few information security policy compliance studies exist on the consequences of different organizational/information cultures.

Leadership vision, organizational culture, and support for innovation in not‐for‐profit and for‐profit organizations

2011 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 291-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
James C. Sarros ◽  
Brian K. Cooper ◽  
Joseph C. Santora
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Culture ◽  
Organizational Support ◽  
Cultural Orientation ◽  
Socially Responsible ◽  
Mediation Effects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Not For Profit ◽  
Support For Innovation ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationships among leadership vision, organizational culture, and support for innovation in not‐for‐profit (NFP) and FP organizations. It hypothesizes that in NFPs, a socially responsible cultural orientation mediates the relationship between leadership vision and organizational support for innovation, whereas in FPs, a competitive cultural orientation mediates this relationship.Design/methodology/approachThis is an empirical study that draws upon a large survey of 1,448 managers and senior executives who are members of the Australian Institute of Management.FindingsPath analytic modelling provides partial support for the hypotheses. Although the predicted mediation effects occurred in NFPs and FPs, the strength of relationship between leadership vision and the two dimensions of organizational culture did not differ between the sectors. This was despite the observation that NFPs scored higher on a socially responsible cultural orientation than FPs, whereas FPs scored higher on a competitive cultural orientation.Practical implicationsStrategies for building innovative and sustainable organizations in the NFP sector are discussed on the basis of these findings.Originality/valueThe paper describes the first study in Australia that compares the responses of NFP and FP managers on leadership and related constructs, and provides evidence of the impact of organizational culture on leadership and innovation in these two sectors.

The “Right” recipes for security culture: a competing values model perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hwee-Joo Kam ◽  
Thomas Mattson ◽  
Dan J. Kim
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Culture ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Equation Model ◽  
Competing Values ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Stability And Control ◽  
Cultural Effects ◽  
The Right ◽  
And Control

PurposeThis study argues that the effect of perceived organizational culture on the formation of security-related subjective norms and the level of compliance pressure will vary based on how the employees perceive their organization's cultural values. These perceptions reflect on the assumptions and principles that organizations use to guide their security-related behaviors. To make these arguments, we adopt the competing values model (CVM), which is a model used to understand the range of organizational values and resulting cultural archetypes.Design/methodology/approachThis study conducted a survey of working professionals in the banking and higher education industries and used partial least squares (PLS)-structural equation model (SEM) to analyze the data. In a series of post hoc analyses, we ran a set of multi-group analyses to compare the perceived organizational cultural effects between the working professionals in both industries.FindingsOur study reveals that perceived organizational cultures in favor of stability and control promoted more positive security-related behaviors. However, the different effects were more pronounced when comparing the effects between the working professionals in both industries.Originality/valueThis study is one of the few that examines which cultural archetypes are more effective at fostering positive security behaviors. These findings suggest that we should be cautious about generalizing the effects of organizational culture on security-related actions across different contexts and industries.

scholarly journals Developing a theory-based information security management framework for human service organizations

2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 254-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sameera Mubarak
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Culture ◽  
Information Security ◽  
Human Service ◽  
Security Management ◽  
Human Service Organizations ◽  
Service Organizations ◽  
Security Systems ◽  
Information Security Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Management Framework

Purpose This paper aims to identify organizations’ information security issues and to explore dynamic, organizational culture and contingency theories to develop an implementable framework for information security systems in human service organizations (HSOs) based soundly in theory and practice. Design/methodology/approach The paper includes a critical review of global information security management issues for HSOs and relevant multi-disciplinary organizational theories to address them. Findings Effective information security management can be particularly challenging to HSO because of their use of volunteer staff in a borderless electronic environment. Organizations’ lack of recognition of the need for staff awareness of information security threats and for training in secure work practices, particularly in terms of maintaining clients’ privacy and confidentiality, is a major issue. The dynamic theory of organizational knowledge creation, organizational culture theory and contingency theory were identified as the most suitable theoretical perspectives to address this issue and underpin an effective information security management framework for HSOs. Research limitations/implications The theory-based framework presented here has not been tested in practice. Such testing will be carried out in further research. Originality/value Currently, there is no framework for information security systems in HSOs. The framework developed here provides a foundation on which HSO can build information security systems specific to their needs.

Control dimensions, job demands and job satisfaction: does ownership matter?

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 305-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petra Lindfors ◽  
Niklas Hansen
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Job Demands ◽  
Work Conditions ◽  
Work Characteristics ◽  
Psychosocial Work ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
For Profit ◽  
And Control ◽  
Ownership Types

PurposeNew ownership types in health care of welfare states raise concerns regarding psychosocial work conditions including different control dimensions. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how job demands, control over work and control within work (CWW) were related to job satisfaction in publicly administered, private non-profit and private for-profit hospitals.Design/methodology/approachQuestionnaire data came from employees at three hospitals; a publicly administered (n=774), a private non-profit (n=1,481) and a private for-profit (n=694) hospital. Mean-level analyses and hierarchical regressions with multiple group tests were conducted.FindingsDemands including workload were significantly lower at the publicly administered hospital while the control dimension CWW was significantly higher. Background factors and their associations with job satisfaction differed slightly between ownership types. Attitudes to privatization were not associated with job satisfaction within any ownership type. Overall, psychosocial work characteristics, including job demands and control, were significantly associated with job satisfaction while their interactions showed no consistent associations with job satisfaction. As for the strength of the associations, no consistent differences emerged between ownership types.Research limitations/implicationsUsing self-reports only, the associations between psychosocial work characteristics and job satisfaction seemed comparable across ownership types.Practical implicationsAssociations between psychosocial work characteristics and job satisfaction seem comparable across ownership types. This may relate to societal demands on the structuring of costs, work and production efficiency being similar for all.Originality/valueContributions include researching different occupations and their attitudes to privatization and two control dimensions considered important for different ownership types.

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