Determinants of financial well-being among young adults in Peninsular Malaysia
The desirability for young adults (18-29 years old) to achieve personal financial success is linked to determinants such as financial literacy, financial socialization, financial technology and self-control. Troubled by the high cost of living, the effects of covid-19 pandemic and the after effec...
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Format: | Thesis |
Language: | English |
Published: |
2022
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Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/104683/1/MERVIN%20ANTHONY%20-%20IR.pdf |
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Summary: | The desirability for young adults (18-29 years old) to achieve personal financial
success is linked to determinants such as financial literacy, financial
socialization, financial technology and self-control. Troubled by the high cost of
living, the effects of covid-19 pandemic and the after effects of the pandemic
young adults in Malaysia’s financial well-being has become more perilous.
Therefore, the major objective of this study was to examine the determinants
that affect financial well-being of young adults, the role of financial behaviour
as a mediator and the moderating role of gender. A multi stage random
sampling method was performed to draw a representative sample of Malaysian
young adults, and 360 duly filled responses were received through selfadministered
questionnaire through smart partnership with Malaysian Youth
Council and the Malaysian Ministry of Youth and Sports. Descriptive analysis was
conducted in order to summarize the empirical analysis results and factor
analysis was done to measure the validity and reliability of the designed survey.
This study used SEM-method. The SEM analysis covered the direct, indirect
effect, and moderating effect assessment after the inspection of measurement
model.
In the context of this study, the System Theory, Unified Theory of Acceptance &
Use of Technology (UTAUT), Theory of Self-Control and the Theory of Social
Learning, are adapted and incorporated to propose the conceptual framework of
young adult’s financial well-being. The results showed that there were positive
significant relationships and direct effect between financial literacy (β= 0.12, Z =
2.40, p< 0.05), financial socialization (β= 0.40, Z = 4.97, p< 0.05), self-control
(β= 0.19, Z = 2.41, p< 0.05), financial technology (β= 0.29, Z = 4.03, p< 0.05), with financial well-being of young adults. Financial behaviour (β=
0.48, Z = 3.10, p< 0.05) was the most significant determinant of financial wellbeing.
Rapid developments of fintech in Malaysia are expected to
contribute to improvement of young adult’s financial well -being. This
research found fintech has significant and direct effect on financial behaviour
and fintech was found to have significant effect on young adult’s financial wellbeing.
In testing the mediation, the results showed the mediation effect of financial
behaviour in the relationships between financial literacy and financial well-being,
(β= 0.71, p< 0.05), between financial socialization and financial well-being, (β=
0.19, p< 0.05), between self-control and financial well-being, (β= 0.05, p< 0.05)
and between financial technology and financial well-being (β= 0.01, p< 0.05).
Another objective of this study was to analyse how gender of young adults
moderates the relationship between financial behaviour and financial well-being.
The results indicated that there is an insignificant moderating effect of male in
the relationship between financial behaviour and financial well-being (β= 0.26,
t= 1.388, p=0.16). The relationship between financial behaviour and financial
well-being is stronger when its controlled for gender. In contrast, the results
indicated that there is a significant moderating effect of female in the relationship
between financial behaviour and financial well-being (β= 0.73, t= 2.649, p= 0.08).
The study found, the regression slope for male respondents is 0.26 and not
significant and the regression slope for female respondents is 0.73 and
significant. In other words, the effect of financial behaviour on financial wellbeing
depends on the gender of respondents whereby the effect is not significant
for male respondents, while the effect is significant for female respondents.
The findings are in good agreement with relevant theories proposed. Therefore,
the current study has both the theoretical and practical contributions, and offers
experts with actionable insights regarding the determinants of young adults’
financial well-being when designing policies to enable them from moving from a
state of lower to higher financial well-being over time.
This research has shown considerable evidence that young adults financial wellbeing
can only happen through positive financial behaviour. As such, this
research’s public policy recommendation are for young adult’s to be made aware
of the pitfalls to avoid in using fintech applications, the good aspects of it as well
as for female gender specific financial literacy programmes to help them in the
attainment of their financial well-being. As financial behaviour developes over
time, this study suggests a move away from one-off programmes to a move
structured programme as a means of helping young adults develop positive
financial behaviours. |
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