University of Arkansas, Fayetteville ScholarWorks@UARK Theses and Dissertations 12-2018 The Role of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) in Shaping Identity Threats and Responses Mary Macharia University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd Part of the Information Security Commons Recommended Citation Macharia, Mary, "The Role of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) in Shaping Identity Threats and Responses" (2018). Theses and Dissertations. 2942. https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/2942 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@UARK. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UARK. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. The Role of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) in Shaping Identity Threats and Responses A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration with an emphasis in Information Systems by Mary Macharia University of Nairobi Bachelor of Science, 1997 University of Sunderland Master of Science in Management of Information Technology, 2006 December 2018 University of Arkansas This dissertation is approved for recommendation to the Graduate Council. Christina Serrano, Ph.D. Rajiv Sabherwal, Ph.D. Dissertation Chair Dissertation Chair Varun Grover, Ph.D. Anne O’Leary-Kelly. Ph.D. Committee Member Committee Member Abstract With the rising use of social media, people are increasingly experiencing, and responding to, identity threats online. This sometimes leads to online backlash via “cybermobs” or the creation of online social movements that traverse offline. Prior information systems (IS) research on identity threats and responses largely focuses on information communication technology (ICT) implementations within organizations in an offline context. Therefore, we lack understanding of ICT-mediated identity threats and responses and ways to promote healthier and productive interactions online. This two-essay dissertation seeks to fill this gap. Essay 1 combines a review of ICT-mediated identity threats with a qualitative study (based on interviews) to examine: (a) the types of identity threats that ICT enables; and (b) the nature of effects of ICT on identity threats. Essay 2 is a mixed-methods study that investigates how the identity threat and response process (ITARP) can evolve when mediated by ICT. The study is based on event sequence analysis of ICT-mediated ITARP in 50 viral stories where identity threats were triggered online, supplemented by interview data from individuals involved in some of the stories. Results suggest four distinct patterns of ICT-mediated identity threats and responses. Cumulatively, the results from the two essays highlight the role of digital media in influencing both ICT-mediated identity threats as well as the process of identity threat and response. @2018 by Mary Macharia All Rights Reserved Table of Contents I. Introduction and Overview of Dissertation Research ............................................................. 1 The Two Essays ....................................................................................................................... 2 Overview References ............................................................................................................... 5 II. Essay 1: Understanding ICT-mediated Identity Threats ......................................................... 6 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 6 Theoretical Background .......................................................................................................... 9 Research Methodology .......................................................................................................... 18 Results ................................................................................................................................... 21 Discussion.............................................................................................................................. 38 Limitations and Directions for Future Research ............................................................... 42 Contributions to Theory and Practice ............................................................................... 43 Essay 1: References ............................................................................................................... 46 Essay 1: Appendices .............................................................................................................. 56 III. Essay 2: ICT-Mediated Identity Threat and Response Process (ITARP): A Mixed-Methods Study ...................................................................................................................................... 78 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 78 Theoretical Background ........................................................................................................ 80 Research Methodology .......................................................................................................... 87 Results ................................................................................................................................. 100 Discussion............................................................................................................................ 140 Limitations and Directions for Future Research ............................................................. 143 Contributions to Theory and Practice ............................................................................. 144 Essay 2: References ............................................................................................................. 147 Essay 2: Appendices ............................................................................................................ 155 IV. Conclusions ......................................................................................................................... 178 References ........................................................................................................................... 181 Appendix: Research Compliance Protocol Letter ........................................................... 182 List of Tables Table 2A: Definitions of identity threat (based on Petriglieri, 2011, p.644) ................................ 56 Table 2B: ICT-mediated Identity Threats in Prior Literature ....................................................... 57 Table 2C: Interview Guide for Targets of Identity Threats .......................................................... 59 Table 2D: Interview stories ........................................................................................................... 61 Table 2E: Interview participants ................................................................................................... 63 Table 2F: Interview participants ................................................................................................... 63 Table 2G: News sources by participants ....................................................................................... 63 Table 2H: Data structure ............................................................................................................... 64 Table 2I: Representative Quotes Supporting the Data Structure .................................................. 66 Table 2J. Summary of Perceived Identity Threats per Participant ............................................... 72 Table 3A: ICT-mediated ITARP literature review ..................................................................... 155 Table 3B: Sources of online data for the study ........................................................................... 159 Table 3C: Details of the stories ................................................................................................... 160 Table 3D: Interview details ......................................................................................................... 168 Table 3E: Definitions of codes ................................................................................................... 169 Table 3F: Illustrative event sequences ........................................................................................ 170 Table 3G: Percentage and frequency distribution of offline/online events by cluster ................ 171 Table 3H: Frequency distribution of actions and context by cluster .......................................... 171 Table 3I: Frequency distribution of actions and context by sequence ........................................ 172 Table 3J: Results from One-Way ANOVA and Post-Hoc Tests ................................................ 174 Table 3K: Interpretation of Clusters ........................................................................................... 175 Table 3L: ICT-specific threat and response (ITARP) actions identified from the stories .......... 176 List of Figures Figure 1.1: Identity threat and response process (ITARP) ............................................................. 1 Figure 1.2 Overall structure of the two-essay dissertation ............................................................