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The purpose of this paper is to examine the potential of cultural theory as a tool for identifying patterns in the stakeholders' perception of risk and its effect on information system (IS) risk management.

Risk management involves a number of human activities which are based on the way the various stakeholders perceive risk associated with IS assets. Cultural theory claims that risk perception within social groups and structures is predictable according to group and individual worldviews; therefore this paper examines the implications of cultural theory on IS risk management as a means for security experts to manage stakeholders perceptions.

A basic theoretical element of cultural theory is the grid/group typology, where four cultural groups with differentiating worldviews are identified. This paper presents how these worldviews affect the process of IS risk management and suggests key issues to be considered in developing strategies of risk management according to the different perceptions cultural groups have.

The findings of this research are based on theoretical analysis and are not supported by relevant empirical research. Further research is also required for incorporating the identified key issues into information security management systems (ISMS).

IS security management overlooks stakeholders' risk perception; for example, there is no scheme developed to understand and manage the perception of IS stakeholders. This paper proposes some key issues that should be taken into account when developing strategies for addressing the issue of understanding and managing the perception of IS stakeholders.

In this chapter the author highlighted the most prominent theories surrounding the cultural framework people operate in when they are involved in the risk management process, which is an important function in the governance structure of a firm. The focus was on how culture, gender differences and values affect the way people take decisions when faced with risk. The author critically examined literature carried out in the realm of sociology and psychology in organisations and discussed the effect these have on the risk management process. She discussed the effect of sociological factors on the governance of an organisation and linked this to one of the internal control processes, that is, the risk management process. It was concluded that although it is fundamental to study the human element involved in this internal control process, it is also important to be selective of the people who are made responsible for these processes, taking into account risk perception, culture, values and gender and how these factors influence the choices people make. The selection process needed to be carried out carefully, so with foresight, putting the right people in the right places would improve the risk management, an internal control process, and thus lead to better business practices.

This paper aims to utilise cultural theory of risk to provide a broad analytic framework for examining how risk is constructed within the dominant discourses around patient safety within the domain of psychiatry. It also seeks to examine notions of blame and to consider the possibility of the creation of a no‐blame culture.

The empirical element of the paper draws on qualitative interviews with a sample of psychiatrists to explore how culture may give rise to different perceptions and responses in respect of “risky behaviour” and “safe practice”.

The paper discusses how psychiatry may be differentiated from other branches of medicine and concludes that the cultural grouping that appears to be most apposite in respect of psychiatrists is the egalitarian culture. However, changes in the NHS are resulting in the imposition of an individualistic culture on the community of psychiatrists with the effect that behaviours are being adopted as measures to avoid potential blame.

The paper finds that if the NHS is to improve patient safety then it must recognise that it is not possible to create a no‐blame culture and, therefore, it is more important to consider which type of culture will impact most positively on patient safety. It appears that psychiatrists are being compelled to adopt an individualistic culture when an egalitarian culture would be more advantageous for patient safety.

In contrast with the methodological individualism of the current safety orthodoxy which interprets risk as an objective and measurable phenomenon, the paper draws on cultural theory of risk to develop a critical perspective on current safety policy and to explore how “risky” and “safe” practices are socially constructed in the context of psychiatry.

The purpose of this paper is to propose Neo-Durkheimian institutional theory, developed by the Durkheimian institutional theory, as developed by anthropologist Mary Douglas, as a suitable theory base for undertaking cross-cultural accounting research. The social theory provides a structure for examining within-country and cross-country actions and behaviours of different groups and communities. It avoids associating nations and cultures, instead contending any nation will comprise four different solidarities engaging in constant dialogues. Further, it is a dynamic theory able to take account of cultural change.

The paper establishes a case for using neo-Durkheimian institutional theory in cross-cultural accounting research by specifying the key components of the theory and addressing common criticisms. To illustrate how the theory might be utilised in the domain of accounting and finance research, a comparative interpretation of the different experiences of financialization in Germany and the UK is provided drawing on Douglas’s grid-group schema.

Neo-Durkheimian institutional theory is deemed sufficiently capable of interpreting the behaviours of different social groups and is not open to the same criticisms as Hofstede’s work. Differences in Douglasian cultural dialogues in the post-1945 history of Germany and the UK provide an explanation of the variations in the comparative experiences of financialization.

Neo-Durkheimian institutional theory has been used in a wide range of contexts; however, it has been little used in the context of accounting research. The adoption of the theory in future accounting research can redress a Hofstedian-bias in accounting research.

Purpose: Risk is a multifaceted concept, and its identification requires complex approaches that are often misunderstood. The consequence is that decisions are based on limited perception rather than the full value and meaning of what risk is, as a result, the way it is being tackled is incorrect. The individuals are often limited in their perceptions and ideas and do not embrace the full multifaceted nature of risk. Regulators and individuals want to follow norms and checklists or overuse models, simulations, and templates, thereby reducing responsibility for decision-making. At the same time, the wider use of technology and rules reduces the critical thinking of individuals. We advance the automation process by building robots that follow protocols and forget about the part of risk assessment that cannot be programed. Therefore, with this study, the objective of this study was to discover how people define risk, the influencing factors of risk perception and how they behave toward this perception. The authors also determine how the perception differed with age, gender, marital status, education level and region. The novelty of the research is related to individual risk perception during COVID-19, as this is a new and unknown phenomenon. Methodology: The research is based on the analysis of the self-administered purposely designed questionnaires we distributed across different social media platforms between February and June 2020 in Europe and in some cases was carried out as a interview over communication platforms such as “Skype,” “Zoom” and “Microsoft Teams.” The questionnaire was divided into four parts: Section 1 was designed to collect demographic information from the participants; Section 2 included risk definition statements obtained from literature and a preliminary discussion with peers; Section 3 included risk behavior statements; and Section 4 included statements on risk perception experiences. A five-point Likert Scale was provided, and participants were required to answer along a scale of “1” for “Strongly Agree” to “5” for “Strongly Disagree.” Participants also had the option to elaborate further and provide additional comments in an open-ended box provided at the end of the section. 466 valid responses were received. Thematic analysis was carried out to analyze the interviews and the open-ended questions, while the questionnaire responses were analyzed using various quantitative methods on IBM SPSS (version 23). Findings: The results of the analysis indicate that individuals evaluate the risk before making a decision and view risk as both a loss and opportunity. The study identifies nine factors influencing risk perception. Nevertheless, it must be emphasized that we can continue to develop models and rules, but as long as the risk is not understood, we will never achieve anything.

Research has found a subgroup of conservative white males have lower perceptions of risk across a variety of environmental and health hazards. Less research has looked at the views of these “low risk” individuals in group interactions. Through qualitative analysis of a technology deliberation, we note that white men expressing low risk views regarding technologies for energy and the environment also often express high social risks around potential loss of control. We argue these risk perceptions reflect identification with corporate concerns, usually framed in opposition to government and mirroring arguments made by conservative organizations. We situate these views within the broader cultural struggle over who has the power to name and address risks.

Climate change is predicted to increase the vulnerability of urban populations to flood hazards. Against this backdrop, flood risk adaptation has become pertinent. However, in Ghana, current flood risk management practice is fostered by a reactive culture. There is limited research on how communities and government agencies are engaging with flood risk adaptation in improving resilience. Therefore, this paper aims to analyse the culture of communities and agencies through the cultural theory of risk (CTR), towards understanding the flood risk adaptation in Accra, Ghana. Culture is deciphered using the beliefs held by residents and public agency officials.

A qualitative methodology, underpinned by the constructivist paradigm, was adopted to understand factors that influence flood risk adaptation in informal settlements. Data was gathered using household and institutional interviews in Glefe, Accra, Ghana.

The results show that both disaster risk management institutions and community members are deeply concerned about current and future flood risk. However, their cultural beliefs concerning flood risk and adaptation are contradictory, broadly framed by fatalist, individualist and hierarchist beliefs. The contradictory emergent beliefs contribute to a clash of expectations and create uncertainty about how to respond to flood risk, impacting the implementation of required adaptation measures. Developing a collaborative flood risk management framework and a shared understanding of adaptation approaches may be a better alternative.

This paper advances understanding of how culture influences flood risk adaptation in developing country context.

Risk management is an emerging research area in tourism and hospitality. This paper classifies hotels based on grid (control) and group (inter dependencies) structure given by the cultural theory of risk. This paper aims to understand whether hotels grouped as per grid group structure differ on risk coping strategies such as mitigation, absorption and transfer for various hospitality risks.

Primary data are collected from 112 senior managers of luxury hotels using structured questionnaire aimed to capture the grid group aspect and risk management practices. Using factor scores, hotels are grouped. One-way analysis of variance is performed on these data to ascertain whether risk management practices of various types of hotels differ.

Results provide new insights into hotels grid group aspect and risk-related behaviour, revealing that hotels significantly differ on risk coping and confirming that the structure of hotel – the grid and group – does impact its risk management practices.

The study adds to the extant literature. For the first time, the grid group structure of hotel is proposed to impact the risk coping. Second, the risk perception study is conducted at firm level and not at individual level as done in past. Third, the paper looks at all three risk management practices and not in isolation, thus taking the risk research dialogue further. The study has not considered non-luxury hotels. Second limitation is a small sample of 112 hotels.

The study opens up a new perspective on hotel risk management. The researchers will benefit from the newer, theoretical understanding of firm-level complex structure of risk. The hotels risk professionals can benefit from understanding grid group structure and risk coping practices.

The novel approach of grid group classification of hotels is developed. Risk management practices are studied across hotel types for various risks. Study enhances the understanding of risk and grid group structure with regard to managing hospitality risk.

This study aims to investigate hazards in theater venues on the performance day by combining operational risk theory with a service blueprint method.

Interviews and Delphi method are applied to find the hazards, then a survey and ANOVA are followed. The study explores a profile of hazards using data from theater venues in Taiwan and examines whether employee characteristics (i.e. professional tasks, experience and working location) affect risk perception.

The study suggests a new framework represented by a 5 (types of loss events) × 6 (service systems) matrix to check operational risks. The analyses indicate two types of hazards: risk perception about performance and operations by performers and crew (RPPOPC) and audience behaviors and safety (RPABS). RPPOPC is related to the core show, but not all employees possess high RPPOPC. Seniors have relatively low RPPOPC, and frontend house employees possess insufficient RPABS. Further, front house employees, seniors and those working in municipal cities show relatively high RPPOPC in high-loss situations.

Managers can use the analytic framework to effectively identify operational risks in the core show operations and audience service offerings. They can promote risk perception considering employee differences and loss severity. However, the framework does not discuss the cause-and-effect relationship. Incorporating a large amount of loss experience into a risk information system would help clarify this complex relationship.

This study contributes to hazard mitigation in the performing arts sector, both in the peripheral services for customers and in the core show services.

Perceived consumer risk is explored in relation to online (Internet) purchasing using a cross‐national sample (N=562) from the United States, Canada and U.K. Objectives of the study are to determine if experience in online purchasing reduces perceived risk, if perceived risk varies across product/service categories and if certain types of risk are more important in purchasing certain products/services. Lastly, does national culture affect perceptions of risk? Results are discussed and suggestions are offered to managers on how to reduce perceived risk, thus increasing online purchasing in the three countries examined.