Motivational factors in cybersecurity: linking theory to organizational practice

Purpose This study investigates the application of motivational strategies to encourage security-compliant behavior among employees in organizational cybersecurity, exploring how organizations motivate security-compliant behavior among employees in Germany. This study aims to bridge the gap between theoretical motivational models and practical implementation within organizations. Design/methodology/approach This research uses a qualitative approach, conducting semi-structured interviews with 18 participants from organization of different sizes and sectors in Germany, illuminating the topic from three perspectives: executive managers, security specialists and regular employees. A deductive analysis is applied to coding the interview along intrinsic motivators (competence, relatedness and autonomy) and external motivators (incentives and nudges). Findings This study found that some motivational factors, such as positive incentives like vouchers, and a healthy error culture effectively lead to employees being motivated to follow security guidelines. Conversely, the authors found several aspects that employees perceive as frustrating and ineffective, such as compulsory e-learnings or overcomplex security policies, hindering their intrinsic motivation to contribute to organizational cybersecurity. Originality/value While existing literature offers insights into specific motivational methods applied within organizations, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first to adopt a broader perspective by analyzing how organizations’ cybersecurity strategies integrate both intrinsic and extrinsic motivational approaches.