Developing an Information Privacy Concerns Model for Protecting Consumers' Personal Data in Energy Sector

Big data industry process massive amount of consumers' personal data that are utilized by their employees in the workplace. The current problem is due to the privileged access to sensitive and valuable personal data, employees may cause privacy breaches. This situation may lead to detrimental consequences. Therefore, it is important to impose particular attention to employees' concerns regarding privacy in the use of personal data. The objective of the study is to develop an information privacy concerns (IPC) model to enhance employees' privacy concerns for protecting consumers' personal data. The study focus on employees who are managing consumers' personal data within the organizations. In preliminary study, three theories and five models that have been applied in information privacy research have been used in order to identify the determinants. The determinants are privacy control, privacy risk, privacy policy, awareness, personal experience, trust, self-efficacy and culture. As one of the sectors that vulnerable to privacy breaches and disclosure, energy sector is chosen as the scope of this study. A questionnaire survey will be distributed to a total sample of 500 employees working in the energy sector. The data collected will be analyzed statistically using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The outcomes of this study will provide insights for employee to enhance their awareness on the responsibility to protect consumers' personal data in their organization. It also may assist the organizations to evaluate their employees' IPC. This will contribute to better services served by the energy sector to the public, subsequently facilitated the organizations towards understanding the IPC determinants from the employees' perspective in ensuring compliance with the Personal Data Protection Act 2010 and align with requirement in Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII).