The pervasive connectivity of devices enabled by Internet of Things (IoT) technologies is leading the way in various innovative services and applications. This increasing connectivity comes with its own complexity. Thus, large scale pilots (LSPs) are designed to develop, test and use IoT innovations in various domains in conditions very similar to their operational scalable setting. One of the key challenges facing the diffusion of such innovations within the course of an LSP is understanding the conditions in which their respective users decide to adopt them (or not). Accordingly, in this study we explore IoT adoption barriers in four LSPs in Europe from the following domains: smart cities, autonomous driving, wearables and smart agriculture and farming. By applying Roger’s Diffusion of Innovation as a theoretical lens and using empirical data from workshops and expert interviews, we identify a set of common and domain specific adoption barriers. Our results reveal that trust, cost, perceived value, privacy and security are common concerns, yet shape differently across domains. In order to overcome various barriers, the relative advantage or value of using the innovation needs to be clearly communicated and related to the users’ situational use; while this value can be economic in some domains, it is more hedonic in others. LSPs were particularly challenged in applying established strategies to overcome some of those barriers (e.g., co-creation with end-users) due to the immaturity of the technology as well as the scale of pilots. Accordingly, we reflect on the theoretical choice in the discussion as well as the implications of this study on research and practice. We conclude with providing practical recommendations to LSPs and avenues for future research.

This research investigates user awareness and attitudes toward potential inferences of information posted on social network sites (SNSs). The study reports how user attitudes change after exposure to inferences made based upon information they have disclosed on an SNS, namely, on Facebook. To demonstrate this, two sub-studies involving three focus group sessions were conducted with Facebook users. In the first sub-study, the users received a general introduction to information that can be inferred from posts by using a prototypical privacy-enhancement tool called DataBait. Then, the second sub-study allowed the users to witness the potential inferences of their own Facebook photos and posts by using the DataBait tool. Next, qualitative content analysis was conducted to analyze the results, and these showed that the participants’ attitudes toward privacy on SNSs changed from affective to cognitive when they became aware of potential inferences from actual information posted on their own Facebook accounts. The results imply that end users require more cognitive awareness regarding their genres of disclosure and the effect of their disclosures on their privacy. Moreover, as privacy awareness is contextual, there is a need for more research and development of online tools that will allow users to manage and educate themselves.

Purpose: This study aims to address the issue of practicing information security risk assessment (ISRA) on cloud solutions by studying municipalities and large organizations in Sweden. Design/methodology/approach: Four large organizations and five municipalities that use cloud services and conduct ISRA to adhere to their information security risk management practices were studied. Data were gathered qualitatively to answer the study’s research question: How is ISRA practiced on the cloud? The Coat Hanger model was used as a theoretical lens to study and theorize the practices. Findings: The results showed that the organizations aimed to follow the guidelines, in the form of frameworks or their own experience, to conduct ISRA; furthermore, the frameworks were altered to fit the organizations’ needs. The results further indicated that one of the main concerns with the cloud ISRA was the absence of a culture that integrates risk management. Finally, the findings also stressed the importance of a good understanding and a well-written legal contract between the cloud providers and the organizations using the cloud services. Originality/value: As opposed to the previous research, which was more inclined to try out and evaluate various cloud ISRA, the study provides insights into the practice of cloud ISRA experienced by the organizations. This study represents the first attempt to investigate cloud ISRA that organizations practice in managing their information security.

The rapid growth of the Internet of Things (IoT) has given rise to many wearable devices integrated into daily life. However, achieving end-users' long-term adoption is still an issue. While wearables' technological implementation is advancing rapidly, their consequences need to be scrutinized to alleviate the concerns that threaten a strong civil and sustainable society. The purpose of this article is to investigate issues (social, ethical, and ecological) and adoption barriers related to wearable technologies from end-users' perspectives. The authors undertook a systematic literature review combined with two rounds of interviews with domain experts as well as end-users of IoT wearable devices to find relevant issues and adoption barriers. This article summarizes social, ethical, and ecological issues as well as adoption barriers of wearable technologies. These issues and adoption barriers have important implications that need to be addressed to increase the adoption and diffusion of wearable technologies.

The research on stress in doctoral education has largely focused on doctoral researchers’ well-being. However, also doctoral supervisors experience stress. This study aims to uncover the dimensions of stressors related to doctoral supervisors and different sources of stress experienced by them. Interviews with doctoral supervisors were conducted to gather evidence of doctoral supervisor stress. We identified eight stressors, of which three were shared between the supervisor and the doctoral researcher: time pressure, balancing work and personal time, and doctoral researcher’s project. Other sources of stress for doctoral supervisors were related to the defence day, organisational and administrative factors, engagement with the student’s personal issues, managing “out-of-scope activities”, and the supervisor’s relationship with their co-supervisor. The insights gained from this study may assist supervisors in finding coping strategies to minimise their stress. Moreover, it can be a step towards understanding how the impact on supervisor’s stress might be theorised.

The COVID-19 pandemic of 2019 surprised information security practitioners in the organizations due to the change imposed on employees’ work routines. Employees were asked to work from home, and therefore changes were necessary to reduce information security risks actively. The abrupt change of work environments brought many challenges to the practitioners, which caused them to make decisions regarding organizational information security. This article aims to uncover those challenges through an ethnography study within an organization during the fourteen months of teleworking. On an overarching level, we found four challenges to be of concern: technical security, regulations and policies, employee awareness of security issues, and, finally, preparedness for the new work environment of teleworking. We believe that the challenges brought by the analysis will inspire discussions about the future of research and practice regarding information security management in case of disasters.