The Effect of Perceived Organizational Culture on Employees’ Information Security Compliance

Jun 5, 2026

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This paper investigates how employees’ perceived organizational cultures relate to information security policy compliance among white-collar workers. A survey of 674 respondents in Sweden used the Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument, grounded in the Competing Values Framework, distinguishing clan, adhocracy, market, and bureaucracy cultures. Results show that internal-focus cultures are positively associated with compliance, while control and flexibility differences matter less. Bureaucratic culture is identified as especially effective for fostering compliance.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages20

Reading Time50 min

Introduction

Information security as a strategic and operational issue

Employees as the first line of defense

Research motivation and individual-related factors

Research purpose and approach

Survey design and sample

Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument and Competing Values Framework

Findings

Internal-focus cultures and compliance

Effects of control and flexibility

Bureaucratic culture as most fruitful

Implications

Research limitations and future investigation

Practical implications for organizations

FAQs

What is the purpose of the study on perceived organizational culture and information security compliance?

The study examines the relationship between different perceived organizational cultures and information security policy compliance among white-collar workers.

How was information security policy compliance measured in the research?

Compliance was assessed using a survey sent to white-collar workers in Sweden, asking about adherence to information security policies.

Which organizational culture type was found to be most effective for improving compliance?

The analysis indicates that a bureaucratic form of organizational culture is most fruitful for fostering employees’ information security policy compliance.

Jun 5, 2026

Upload by Aurelia