The Role of Autonomy in ISP Compliance Decisions in Flexible Work Environments

As remote work becomes more common, organizations face challenges in ensuring compliance with information security policies (ISP) among their decentralized employees. This paper explores the role of autonomy, using Self-Determination Theory (SDT), to understand its impact on compliance intentions regarding ISPs in flexible work environments (FWA). Data collected from 114 employees in flexible work settings revealed a strong positive relationship (r<inf xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">s</inf> = .96, p < .001) between autonomy and compliance intentions. The findings highlight the importance of fostering autonomy to enhance intrinsic motivation, improve adherence to ISPs, and create a resilient organizational security culture. The paper also discusses practical implications for organizations leveraging autonomy in FWA.