Ethics, Data Privacy and Security: Pillars of a Modern Office Environment

Abstract

The modern office environment has become increasingly data-driven, creating new ethical, 
privacy and security challenges. In today’s office environment, ethical practices, data privacy 
and information security are increasingly recognized as critical pillars for organizational 
effectiveness. This article examined how ethics, data privacy and security function as 
interdependent pillars in sustaining productivity, compliance and trust in predicting job 
satisfaction and task completion rate among office workers in Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi. Drawing 
from both global standards (ISO/IEC 27001:2022, GDPR) and Nigeria’s Data Protection Act 
(NDPA, 2023), the paper integrated theoretical perspectives from Protection Motivation Theory 
(PMT) and Socio-Technical Systems Theory. Using an empirical review of studies on workplace 
ethics, data protection and information security, the discussion highlighted how ethical climates 
influence compliance behaviour, how privacy frameworks guide lawful processing and how 
everyday security practices safeguard organizational data thus predicting job satisfaction and 
task completion rate among office workers. A structured questionnaire was administered to 40 
respondents across the institution. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Findings 
suggested that ethical workplace climate, data privacy awareness and robust security practices 
significantly and positively predict job satisfaction and task completion. The study underscored 
the need for continuous staff training, organizational compliance with the Nigeria Data 
Protection Act (NDPA 2023) and integration of ethical and security policies into office 
management practices.