Since human factor security exploits are on the rise, ensuring Usable Security has become extremely important for the overall security of computer systems. However, traditional undergraduate computer security curriculum focuses heavily on technical aspects of security and generally ignores Usable Security. To address this problem, we developed a new 3P Learning Method that encourages students to view security problems from three different perspectives (i.e. 3P), namely: Defense, Offense, and Use. The 3P Method lets us incorporate Usable Security into the existing curriculum and helps students to consider Usable Security as an integral part of secure system design rather than an optional add-on.

This study tested the influence of bridging and bonding social capital in political participation while controlling for sociodemographic and psychological factors among Mexicans and Mexican Americans in Illinois. Bridging social capital significantly predicted two types of participation. Participants who felt their lives were linked to those of Anglo-Americans and attended functions with members of this group were more likely to contact a public official. In addition, those who attended functions with Anglo-Americans were also more likely to work for or contribute to a political candidate. Bonding social capital significantly predicted attending a public meeting or demonstration. Those who felt more linked to other Latinos in the country were less likely to participate, but those who had a close experience with discrimination were more likely to do so. Overall, findings showed that an understanding of the different aspects of social capital is necessary to decipher the participation puzzle.

This study assesses the impact of globalization on female participation in the labor force (FPLF). The increased globalization in the last several decades has created various economic opportunities for enterprises and individuals worldwide at an unprecedented rate. As a result, it has helped improve the quality of life for many men and women. In this process, the issue of women’s economic participation has been a critical topic for discussion worldwide. In that context, the objective of the paper is to determine if FPLF is influenced by a country’s participation in foreign markets through foreign direct investment (FDI) – a proxy for globalization. The paper uses a panel dataset obtained from the World Bank’s World Development Indicators database for 99 countries from 2001 to 2018. We then use system Generalized Method of Moments (system GMM) to estimate a dynamic panel model with appropriate specification tests. The results show that the positive effects of FDI on FPLF are more robust for low- and middle-income countries than high-income countries. We also find that results may be sensitive to outlier observations. Our results explain the seemingly inconclusive results within existing literatures and suggest that low- and middle-income countries should particularly focus on sectors that generate FDI as they stand to yield the greatest benefits with regards to female economic empowerment.

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This paper focuses on analyzing small-sample business survey data. We survey 129 businesses in Nepal, where a majority of businesses express an overwhelmingly positive perception towards microfinance institutions (MFIs). The survey focuses mainly on how businesses perceive the services provided by local MFIs. In order to address the bias in maximum likelihood estimation in the context of small sample size, we utilize Firth's adjusted maximum likelihood estimation procedure in the application of logistic regression. The results show that it is the borrowing of a loan from an MFI, not the actual business performance, which influences a business owner's perception towards the role of MFIs in various aspects of rural development. While there is no strong evidence of the MFI loans helping with the actual business performance, and thereby influencing the perceptions, we discuss the potential benefits of owning a business that may be contributing to the positive perceptions towards the institutions with which they are associated. These findings have important implications from the managerial perspective of both MFIs and governing institutions in developing countries. Contribution/Originality: This study documents how businesses express positive perception towards MFIs because of their membership, not necessarily because they have more favorable business outcomes. Methodologically, the paper uses Firth's logistic regression to address the bias present in maximum likelihood estimates computed from a small sample, something common in microfinance studies.