When Communications Fail and Values Clash: What Drives Employees to Resist Information Security Compliance?

Abstract

As internal data breaches pose growing threats, understanding the psychological drivers of employee compliance with information security (IS) policies is crucial. Drawing on person–environment fit and value congruence theory, this study examines how communication uncertainty, communication ambiguity, and value dissimilarity impact IS-related anxiety—distinguishing between prospective and inhibitory dimensions—and how such anxiety reduces compliance intention. Survey data from 397 employees reveal that unclear or ambiguous IS communication heightens both forms of anxiety, which subsequently undermines compliance. Prospective anxiety stems from future-oriented concerns, while inhibitory anxiety arises from confusion or paralysis in the present. Moreover, value dissimilarity amplifies these anxiety effects, indicating that misaligned IS values intensify employees’ psychological reactivity to communication breakdowns. These findings contribute theoretically by identifying dual anxiety pathways linking communication to compliance and highlighting value dissimilarity as a critical contextual moderator. Practically, the study emphasizes the need for clear communication and value congruence to support secure behavior.