PACIS 2019 Proceedings


While a perpetratormay engage in an informationsecurity breach with a negative (e.g., to release anger and frustration) or positive (e.g., to improvesecurity)intent, it is unclear whether intent has animpact on individuals’ assessment of the perpetrator’s responsibility.This study provides insight into this issue. Additionally, we examinewhether moral affect explains the impact of perceived intensity of emotional distress on responsibility judgment (mediating hypothesis) and whether consideration of outcome strengthens the impact of moralaffect on responsibility judgment(moderating hypothesis). We analyze the usable responses of 187 participants and the results provide support for the hypotheses, except for the mediating hypothesis for the positive intentact. Lack of mediating effect inthe positive intentact suggests that the nature of theact might diminish the effect of moralaffect on responsibility judgment. The findings highlight the significant role of consideration of the outcome in the relationship between moral affect and responsibility judgment regardless of the nature of intent.