Information Security Policy Compliance: Leadership and Trust

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of trust variables (trust: competence, trust: benevolence, trust: integrity) on leadership regarding the organization’s information security policy (ISP) compliance. An instrument with four constructs was used to collect data from 474 non-management subjects from various organizations in the USA. Collected data were analyzed through multiple regression procedure. Results revealed that all trust variables (trust: competence, trust: benevolence, trust: integrity) were influential in predicting the leadership regarding the organization’s ISP compliance. The findings are discussed and implications for practice are outlined. Conclusion, limitations, and recommendations for future research are drawn.     

基于员工幸福感中介作用的煤矿企业教练型领导对安全行为的影响研究

研究立足新型领导风格探索影响煤矿企业员工安全行为的路径,构建教练型领导、员工幸福感与安全行为关系理论模型。首先,界定教练型领导和安全行为2个变量,明晰员工幸福感包含生活幸福感、工作幸福感和心理幸福感3个维度;然后用问卷调查法采集数据,利用结构方程模型和Bootstrap检验法分析数据,实证检验了煤矿企业教练型领导与安全行为的关系及员工幸福感的中介作用。结果表明:煤矿企业教练型领导对安全行为和员工幸福感的3个维度均存在显著的正向影响,员工幸福感在教练型领导对安全行为的影响中起中介作用,且工作幸福感的中介效用最显著。具体而言,煤矿企业教练型领导行为的作用水平越高,会诱发员工高幸福感,员工的安全行为表现越好。     

When and how authoritarian leadership and leader renqing orientation influence tacit knowledge sharing intentions

In this study of tacit knowledge-sharing intentions in China, we examine the roles of authoritarian leadership and fairness with respect to the way managers make decisions and treat their subordinates. In particular, we examine the role of leader renqing orientation, i.e., the way leaders distribute favors and emotional concern to their subordinates, as a moderating factor. We draw on the research literature in the domains of knowledge management and cross-cultural Psychology to identify constructs that we then test with a survey of 309 Chinese employees. Our findings are counter-intuitive and are discussed in detail before we conclude with implications for research and practice.     

Interaction rules underlying group decisions in homing pigeons

Travelling in groups gives animals opportunities to share route information by following cues from each other''s movement. The outcome of group navigation will depend on how individuals respond to each other within a flock, school, swarm or herd. Despite the abundance of modelling studies, only recently have researchers developed techniques to determine the interaction rules among real animals. Here, we use high-resolution GPS (global positioning system) tracking to study these interactions in pairs of pigeons flying home from a familiar site. Momentary changes in velocity indicate alignment with the neighbour''s direction, as well as attraction or avoidance depending on distance. Responses were stronger when the neighbour was in front. From the flocking behaviour, we develop a model to predict features of group navigation. Specifically, we show that the interactions between pigeons stabilize a side-by-side configuration, promoting bidirectional information transfer and reducing the risk of separation. However, if one bird gets in front it will lead directional choices. Our model further predicts, and observations confirm, that a faster bird (as measured from solo flights) will fly slightly in front and thus dominate the choice of homing route. Our results explain how group decisions emerge from individual differences in homing flight behaviour.     

School principals at their lonely work: Recording workday practices through ESM logs

This study used portable technology based on Experience Sampling Methodology (ESM log) to register workday practices of school principals and heads from Chilean schools who were implementing school improvement plans aimed at developing a culture of organizational learning. For a week, Smartphone devices which beeped seven times a day were given to School Principals and Heads of Technical-Pedagogical Units, who then answered closed questions about their current agenda. Six municipal schools in a district of the V Region of Chile participated in the study. The main results support the notion that, at the time of data collection, most school Principals and Heads of Technical-Pedagogical Units were working alone, and if they were interacting with other people, they were always in command. Following underlying assumed roles, most school principals reported performing administrative tasks, while Heads of Technical-Pedagogical Units mainly addressed instructional issues, fostering a rigid framework for the assignment of tasks. Follow-up semi-structured interviews confirmed that participants were not working as a team but rather alone on important issues and urgent matters. Participants regarded the use of the device as a very practical and useful tool to analyze their daily practices. Results are discussed focusing on the use of portable technology to address methodological issues faced when approaching research on educational leadership from a distributed leadership perspective.     

Social identity,safety climate and self-reported accidents among construction workers

The construction industry has one of the highest frequencies of work-related accidents. We examined whether construction workers predominantly identify themselves in terms of their workgroup or in terms of the construction site. In addition, we examined the associations between social identity and safety climate, and how these constructs are associated with work-related accidents. The analyses were based on questionnaire responses from 478 construction workers from two large construction sites, and the methods involved structural equation modeling. Results showed that the workers identified themselves primarily with their workgroup, and to a lesser degree with the construction site. Social identity and safety climate were related both at the workgroup and construction site levels, meaning that social identity may be an antecedent for safety climate. The association between social identity and safety climate was stronger at the workgroup level than at the construction site level. Finally, safety climate at both levels was inversely associated with self-reported accidents, with the strongest association at the workgroup level. A focus on improving safety climate, particularly by integrating initiatives at both the workgroup and management level, may have the potential to improve safety performance and thus decrease the risk of accidents and injuries on construction sites.     

Statisticians as innovation leaders

Innovation leading to business growth is increasingly important in many industries. We discuss the unique roles that statistics and statisticians can play in facilitating and leading innovation efforts. Many of the statistical tools to improve quality can also be used to generate more business value through innovation. We also believe that many applied statisticians are especially well positioned to drive and even lead innovation efforts. For statisticians to be successful in leading innovation, they will need to strengthen their skills beyond what they have traditionally needed in the past, but we believe this will be worth the effort.     

魅力型领导与团队学习:团队目标明确度的缓冲效应

本研究采用分组回归方法,以89支学生研究项目团队作为研究对象,考查魅力型领导与团队学习间的影响关系;并检验了团队目标的明确程度对魅力型领导和团队学习间关系所起的缓冲效应.结果表明,魅力型领导有助于团队学习;另一方面,当团队目标相对明确时,魅力型领导对团队学习的积极影响效应才较为显著;而当团队目标相对不明确时,魅力型领导...     

Strengths, strengths overused, and lopsided leadership.

Riding the growth of positive psychology, strengths-based development has become a popular approach to helping managers become better leaders. This school of thought advises managers to maximize their natural talents rather than try to correct weaknesses. This article takes issue with this advice and considers how it can, ironically, lead managers to turn their strengths into weaknesses through overuse as well as cause them to neglect shortcomings that can degrade the performance of employees, teams, and organizations. Hypotheses are developed about the relationship between specific personal strengths and leadership behaviors as well as the joint tendencies to overdo behaviors related to one's strengths while underdoing opposing but complementary behaviors. Strong support was found for the tendency of managers to do too much of the behaviors related to their strengths and more modest support was found for the tendency of managers to do too little of opposing but complementary behaviors. The implications of these findings are discussed in terms of future research needs and how to apply the strengths approach in a way that minimizes downside risk in developmental applications. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)