Article Review – “Organizational Science and Cybersecurity: Abundant Opportunities for Research at the Interface”

 

In the article Organizational Science and Cybersecurity: Abundant Opportunities for Research at the Interface, the authors explore how concepts from organizational psychology and behavior can play a greater role in addressing cybersecurity issues. Since human behavior is often the weakest link in cybersecurity, they argue that social scientists have an important role to play in strengthening security from within organizations.

Rather than presenting original research, the authors review a wide range of existing studies and outline areas where social science could make a significant impact. They ask questions like: How does leadership style influence whether employees follow security polices? How do workplace cultures shape risky behaviors like clicking on phishing links?

The article emphasizes the importance of collaboration between cybersecurity experts and organizational scientists. This ties directly into what we’ve learned in class, specifically, that cyber threats are not just technical problems, but social ones too. Simply training employees on security protocols isn’t enough if the organizational culture doesn’t support or reinforce those practices.

The article does not focus heavily on marginalized groups, but it still brings up important points that could be explored further. For example, employees in lower-wage roles or with less technical experience might face different challenges when complying with cybersecurity practices.

Overall, this article reinforces that cybersecurity is not just about firewalls and software; it’s also about people and their behaviors, where social sciences play a vital role. By encouraging collaboration across multiple disciplines, the authors make a strong case for a broader, more human-centered approach to cybersecurity.

 

Reference

Dalal, R. S., Howard, D. J., Bennett, R. J., Posey, C., Zaccaro, S. J., & Brummel, B. J. (2021). Organizational science and cybersecurity: abundant opportunities for research at the interface. Journal of Business and Psychology, 37(1), 1–29. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-021-09732-9