Self-Determination and Perceived Information Control in Cloud Storage Service

ABSTRACT

Cloud storage is a common service underlying many cloud computing applications, but its adoption is dragged by users’ concerns about privacy and security. To enhance user information control, cloud storage service providers usually offer information assurance (such as technology-based assurance and institution-based assurance), but the effects vary across contexts. We argue that information assurance represents an external motivation that ought to be internalized by the users in order for them to voluntarily use cloud storage to keep personal information. Drawing upon the self-determination theory, we examine the effects of perceived autonomy, perceived competence and perceived relatedness—three fundamental psychological needs—on the relationship between information assurance and perceived information control. An empirical study confirms our expectation, that the three psychological needs fully mediate the impact of information assurance on perceived information control, and the latter drives the adoption of cloud storage service.

KEYWORDS:

• Cloud storage service; perceived information control; self-determination theory

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Republic of China [104-2410-H-155 −048];