1. Provide the citation and attach a pdf of the article. (10 pts)
Mohd, et al., 2017: Gender Difference and Employees’ Cybersecurity Behavior
Gender Difference and Employees Cybersecurity Behaviors
2. What is the abstract of the article? (10 pts)
Abstract
Security breaches are prevalent in organizations and many of the breaches are attributed to human errors. As a result, the organizations need to increase their employees’ security awareness and their capabilities to engage in safe cybersecurity behaviors. Many different psychological and social factors affect employees’ cybersecurity behaviors. An important research question to explore is to what extent gender plays a role in mediating the factors that affect cybersecurity beliefs and behaviors of employees. In this vein, we conducted a cross-sectional survey study among employees of diverse organizations. We used structural equation modelling to assess the effect of gender as a moderator variable in the relations between psychosocial factors and self-reported cybersecurity behaviors. Our results show that gender has some effect in security self efficacy (r=-.435, p< .001), prior experience (r=-.235, p< .001) and computer skills (r=-.198, p< .001) and little effect in cuesto-action (r=-.152, p< .001) and self-reported cybersecurity behaviors (r=-.152, p< .001).
3. Was the study experimental or non-experimental? Explain, tell us what made that clear. (10 pts)
Non-experimental. The research was survey based, and correlational, comparing gender against beliefs and behavior.
4. Was the research qualitative or quantitative? Again, explain. (10 pts)
Quantitative. The research collected was ordinal, being the responses to the survey on a Likert scale of 87 items.
5. What was the population studied? (5 pts)
Male and female employees in a variety of organizations including academia, government and IT.
6. What sample was used for this study? (5 pts)
A sample size of 481, obtained by sending out an online survey, then selectively reduced to 481 who were either full- or part-time employed.
7. What was the method of measurement? (10 pts) If the research was quantitative, was the measurement scale used, Nominal, Ordinal, Interval, or Ratio? If the research was qualitative, what data was collected?
The data was quantitative and the measurement (Likert scale) used was ordinal.
8. What was the method of analysis? (10 pts) If the research was quantitative, what statistical tools were used to analyze the data? If the research was qualitative, in what manner was the data analyzed?
The study used regression analysis. The study specifies that each predictor variable was centered on its’ mean, but this is not a correct usage of the Likert scale. This is a common mistake when using the Likert scale and attempting to give numerical values to the results. As you cannot obtain a true mean, statistical evaluation based on that would be unreliable.
9. What was the conclusion of the study? (10 pts)
The conclusion was that gender was statistically significant in differences in computer-skills, experience, and other facets of cybersecurity.
10. Why is this study useful to you? Explain in detail. (10 pts)
This study is interesting, and does present information that may be of use, but statistical analysis of ordinal data is not valid as you cannot determine a mean from ordinal data, and therefore cannot determine deviation from the mean. On this matter our text notes “It is inappropriate to use the mean to describe ordinal data because the mean is the point around which the differences sum to zero. If the differences are unequal in size (as they are with ordinal data), it makes no sense to use a statistic based on the values of the differences. See Topics 49 and 54.”
Source:
Anwar, M., He, W., Ash, I., Yuan, X., Li, L., & Xu, L. (2017). Gender difference and employees’ cybersecurity behaviors. Computers in Human Behavior, 69, 437-443. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2016.12.040 Article retrieved from https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1013&context=itds_facpubs
Reference:
Patten, Mildred L. Understanding Research Methods: An Overview of the Essentials (p. 132). Taylor and Francis. Kindle Edition.
I find it intriguing that there is such a difference in behaviors in the genders relative to cybersecurity. I suppose it could be attributed to the cavalier attitude of males as opposed to females, but that is just my assumption. I can’t quite understand why they would try to use a mean number to describe the ordinal data. I appreciate your definition of the Likert scale and how it cannot correctly correlate through the use of a mean. Seems to me that this would weaken the validity of this study by introducing certain bias. Other than to determine that there is a difference in the opposing genders behavior with respect to cybersecurity, I am not sure that any further relevant inferences can be made. Since I am not a cybersecurity specialist, how might you see a further use of this data in an effort to continue this research and would you continue to use the Likert scale or collect statistical data?
I think I would choose a different method of categorizing the data collected. As it is a Likert scale your conclusions would have to be a matter of “More women than men will say they are ‘more likely’ to keep security patches up to date.” as that avoids the math issues, and I would take it further in designing a follow-up study attempting to determine why the differences exist. Once you find some sort of basis for the differences in decision making, then I would base further training in a manner to focus attention in that area for the group that is giving more lower scale responses. Strictly as a hypothetical, it may be that women are more aware of the potential for being a victim of hacking, and I would focus on convincing men that they aren’t necessarily as safe or protected as they think they are. One way to do this is selective use of an example of cybersecurity failures and showing how they affect men more than women. After the training I’d perform further sampling to determine the changes in attitudes about the subject matter to judge how well the program is working, and continue tailoring from that point. For some of the information a Likert scale may be appropriate, as I would be looking at a “are you more or less likely to change your current habits”, but I would follow it after a few months with a study to see if habits were changed, and that study would be based on a statistical collection and evaluation.
It is confusing. See the post I added today categorized for Week 6.
This is a study that I would not have considered on my own. I wonder what the relationship between gender and prior experience would be. Additionally, I presume that men have more computer experience than women but that is based solely on stereotypes. I wonder what the public appetite for studies like this is when many want to minimize the differences between men and women. Perhaps research will show both similarities and differences.