How does a high-stress work environment influence insider threats?

A high-stress work environment can significantly impact employee behavior, potentially leading to increased erratic behavior and even malicious actions. When employees are under high levels of stress, factors such as anxiety, frustration, and disengagement may arise. These emotions can impair judgment and increase susceptibility to negative behaviors, including conflicts with coworkers, reduced commitment to organizational values, or even intentional harmful actions.

The pressures of a demanding workplace can cause individuals to feel undervalued and unsupported, which might motivate them to express their discontent in harmful ways. As stress accumulates, individuals may resort to actions that undermine the organization's security or integrity, making them more likely to engage in insider threats. Hence, the correlation between high-stress environments and the propensity for insider threats is well-documented in organizational psychology and human behavior studies.