Managerial Tolerance of Insider Information Sabotage Acts and How Different Organizational Cultures Might Influence such Tolerance

Abstract

The purpose of this mixed-method study is to quantitatively investigate managers’ attitudinal tolerance of nineteen acts of information sabotage and then to qualitatively hypothesize what types of organizational culture or cultures might govern those tolerance attitudes in accordance with the concept of Dual Culture Theory or Grid/Group Culture Theory. Managers from numerous organizations across the country were surveyed using a mail survey. Exploratory factor analysis yielded four factors showing varying degrees of managerial tolerance/intolerance. A “hierarchical culture” was hypothesized for the most severe and overt acts, but either an “egalitarian” or “individualistic culture” was hypothesized for the more covert acts that could be mistakenly overlooked as simple mistakes. Discussions and suggestions for future research and applications of Dual Culture Theory conclude this study.