Promotion of secure software development assimilation: stimulating individual motivation

Purpose The purpose of this study was to establish a Technology-Organization-Personality model of secure software development (SSD) innovation assimilation at the level of individual motivation. The model identifies individual psychological motivation, which influences innovation assimilation intention and behavior. It constitutes an organizational management view of SSD innovation assimilation from individual psychological motivation perspective. Design/methodology/approach An empirical study was employed to verify the assumption model. Semi-structured user interviews were conducted with some security experts to consult their advice and obtain the measurement scales. And questionnaires were circulated at a focus group meeting and among some software security professionals by email. Of 230 questionnaires that were answered, 215 could be used. IBM SPSS 19.0 and AMOS 17.0 were used alternately to analyze the data. Structural equation model was employed to verify the hypotheses of the model. Findings Results reveal that two types of individual motivation can influence SSD innovation assimilation, namely, potential organization support and individual needs. Furthermore, absorption capability was found to play a regulated function in the transition of SSD assimilation intention to behavior. Originality/value The findings reveal how individual motivation plays an important role in promoting complex innovation assimilation. It fills the gap of the research on organizational assimilation behavior and individual motivation in the context of SSD complex innovation, and provides management of software development organization with empirically based conceptualization to guide their personnel incentive policymaking.