Understanding Color Risk Appropriateness: Influence of Color on a User's Decision to Comply with the IT Security Policy - Evidence from the U.S. and India

Color is a complex visual and design element that can produce various emotional, psychological and physical outcomes that can be expressed through religious, cultural, political or social meanings. Past studies have confirmed that culture is an important and integral part of the decision-making process in which color appeal is a salient antecedent to behavioral intentions in culturally distinct countries. However, in the context of computer warning messages, we are lacking clear evidence of how color risk appropriateness (CRA) affects users’ decision-making processes. Supported by the color-in-context theory, our research investigates the color risk appropriateness impact on the perceived risk in two different cultures. We found that different colors behave differently in the specific warning banner context in which CRA is an important antecedent to users’ compliance. Overall, we advance current theoretical understanding on the color-risk dimension and its importance for the user’s decision-making processes.

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