Antecedents and Outcome of Deficient Self-Regulation in Unknown Wireless Networks Use Context: An Exploratory Study

Wireless networks are becoming the norm in the society, where hotspots afford users access to the internet through mobile devices. Unknown wireless networks, open public networks with unknown identity, pose threats as hackers can gain unauthorized access to users’ private information stored in their mobile devices. Despite the imminent dangers, individuals continue to use these networks. This study explicates a self-regulation theory model to investigate the antecedents of deficient self-regulation (DSR). We posit that both habit cues and information security experiential factors influence DSR, leading to habitual use of unknown wireless networks. The results show that perceived attachment, perceptions on privacy risk, and information security self-efficacy significantly influence DSR, which subsequently influences habitual use of unknown wireless networks. This study contributes to the literature on self-regulatory theory and privacy, and also provides implications for managers in dealing with vulnerabilities posed by employees using private or corporate mobile devices on unknown wireless network.