Emotional perceptions of data breaches as diagnostic indicators of data governance maturity in Saudi higher education

This study examines emotional responses to data breaches in Saudi higher education institutions (HEIs) and interprets them as diagnostic indicators of data governance maturity. Building on the Integrated Crisis Mapping (ICM) framework, the research focuses on five core emotions—fear, anger, trust, frustration, and discomfort—captured through a survey administered to students and faculty members in two Saudi universities. By operationalising these emotions as governance indicators, the study adapts ICM to the Saudi higher education context. The findings show that fear and anger are closely linked to transparency deficits, trust reflects governance maturity, frustration signals weak participation, and discomfort highlights empowerment gaps. These results demonstrate that emotions function as structured evaluative signals of governance quality, complementing procedural and structural measures. The study contributes theoretically by extending ICM to higher education governance in a non-Western context and practically by providing an emotion-aware model that highlights the value of integrating emotional dimensions into governance assessment.