Role of Information Security & Psychopathy on Unethical Behavior: An Empirical Investigation within the Banking Sector

Abstract

The accounting research have moved towards the study of the "dark" personality disorder—Dark Triad, and its effect on dishonest and unethical behavior in the workplace environment. Fraudsters with dark personality characteristics such as psychopathic personalities are even greater trouble. Some fraudsters are psychopaths but not all. Psychopaths spend a great deal of time and effort constructing and maintaining a persona that helps them get ahead at work, that's why to be known as the dark horse. Many of the people who are psychopath are short time offenders who are just "doing their work," can hold impressions easily, and their victims are few. The study aims to examine the extent of information security psychopathy and its relationship to some beliefs regarding the unethical professional practice by using a sample of accounting professionals specifically "banking personnel". A formal adopted questionnaire is used to collect primary data for the analysis. A total of 357 participants volunteered to respond to the study. The results of the study validate the position that psychopathy at the workplace is the key precursor of banking fraud scandals. Empirical findings also come with the influence of psychopathy on the unethical behavior in the study area. Finally, the study concludes that the psychopathic personalities have a role to play in unethical behavior in professional practices in the context of the banking sector. While when psychopath goes to work place there is unethical practices therefore, information security does not have a role between psychopathy and unethical performance.