Cybersecurity Training in Organization as Human Capital Investment: A Qualitative Grounded Theory Analysis

This study aims to examine the impacts of organization’s cybersecurity training program on employees with qualitative data, collected from 33 college students who were attending Norfolk State University while also working either on a part-time or full-time basis participated. Open-ended questions were asked to elicit participants’ perspectives on cybersecurity training and cybersecurity protocols in organizations. Using qualitative data analysis software Nvivo 12, the authors organized and analyzed the collected data with open coding, and selective coding to recognize the major influencing impacts from cybersecurity training on employees’ routine work and behavior. Inductive and grounded theory analysis further elaborates connections between employee’s cybersecurity training and efficiency of organizations. Our findings suggest that on-the-job cybersecurity training provided by the employer is an effective investment for modern organizations to build on the organizational human capital and consequently to improve the efficiency of the organization. Findings from this study corroborates with the tenet of human capital theory that on-the-job educational program or training is economical and effective to manage the human capital challenge for modern organizations.