Knowledge absorption for cyber-security: The role of human beliefs

Abstract

We investigate how human beliefs are associated with the absorption of specialist knowledge that is required to produce cyber-security. We ground our theorizing in the knowledge-based view of the firm and transaction-cost economics. We test our hypotheses with a sample of 262 members of an information-sharing and analysis center who share sensitive information related to cyber-security. Our findings suggest that resource belief, usefulness belief, and reciprocity belief are all positively associated with knowledge absorption, whereas reward belief is not. The implications of these findings for practitioners and future research are discussed.