social entrepreneurship, personality traits, social responsibility, entrepreneurship education,

Purpose -Financial planning is important in promoting the social well-being of a nation. Without proper financial planning, individuals may be ill-prepared in coping with the escalating cost of living, medical costs as well as enjoying their desired quality of life. However, financial decision making is not always made in a rational manner. This study aims to investigate the influence of personality traits, genders and course majors on decision making dimensions of risk aversion, cognitive biases and socially responsible investing (SRI) criteria among Generation Y undergraduates.Design/methodology/approach -The study utilizes a sample of undergraduates from a business school in Klang Valley, Malaysia. The study adapts the Big 5 personality scales from McCrae and Costa. The scales for the financial decision making dimensions, namely risk aversion, cognitive biases and SRI constructs, were developed for this study based on concepts developed from the extant literature. The validity and reliability of the scales were tested using exploratory factor analysis and Cronbach's alpha respectively. Hypotheses were tested using multiple linear regressions, t-tests and ANOVA methods.Findings -Conscientiousness, openness and agreeableness were found to have a significant influence on risk aversion, cognitive biases and SRI respectively. Gender and course majors taken were not significant in financial decision making.Research limitations/implications -Future research should extend this to different cohorts of individuals including working adults and retirees. The mediating influences of personality and moderating influences of demographic factors such as education level, age and religiousity should also be explored to better target potential investors and fulfill their financial goals.Practical implications -Awareness of the influence of specific personality traits in financial decision making would help financial planners tailor products more effectively to cater for the understanding and lifestyle of the younger generation. There may also be a need in the future for business schools to introduce courses on behavioural finance in their curriculum.Originality/value -Studies on financial planning have more often focused on rational aspects of financial decision making rather than on personality dimensions. This study bridges the gap by investigating the influence of the Big 5 personality traits in financial decision making. The study also posits that the influence of personality traits is more significant than demographic factors in financial decision making.

If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/ authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractPurpose -This study aims to bridge the gap in the literature on consumer behaviours such as image consciousness, materialism and consumer spending on credit card usage intentions among Malaysian college students.Design/methodology/approach -A purposive sampling design was employed using a sample of 191 business and management students at a private higher education institution in Subang Jaya, Malaysia. An anonymous survey questionnaire was administered to the students. Structural equation modeling was then used to determine the validity of the path diagram and model fit.Findings -The findings of the study revealed that materialism is a partial mediator in the relationship between image consciousness and compulsive spending. The study also found that compulsive spending is not a mediator in the relationship between materialism and credit card usage intentions. However, compulsive spending does exert a sizable influence.Research limitations/implications -Future research is required to investigate whether family background has an impact on youth abilities to be more responsible and rational when undertaking more lavish lifestyles and credit.Practical implications -The implication of this study is that there needs to be more concerted efforts made in instilling credit card awareness and financial discipline among youth to avoid them falling into the debt trap at an early age.Originality/value -This study highlighted the existence of the credit card debt problem which can inhibit Malaysia's vision to achieve a developed nation status in 2020.

Purpose -Credit card bankruptcies in Malaysia trebled from 2006 to 2007 and study loan defaults increased by 103 percent in the same period. In response to this, the paper aims to investigate the level of general financial and product awareness among young adults. The two research questions addressed are: how do demographic factors (age, gender and education level) influence the general financial awareness, and whether undertaking a business degree promotes greater financial and product awareness amongst youth today. Design/methodology/approach -A survey method was employed using a sample of 280 students at a private higher education institution in Subang Jaya, Malaysia. The study also develops valid and reliable scales for general financial awareness and financial product awareness. Hypothesis testing was conducted using multivariate analysis of covariance.Findings -The findings of the study revealed that the level of education and majors influence general and financial product awareness among youths. Also, males were found to have higher levels of financial awareness compared to females.Research limitations/implications -Future research is required to investigate whether family background has an impact on personal finance knowledge.Practical implications -By identifying the specific areas where financial product awareness may be lacking, the paper may assist educators, regulators and financial institutions to design financial planning courses in helping youths to achieve greater financial freedom and be better equipped for retirement.Originality/value -This paper also develops reliable and valid measurement scales for both general and financial product awareness which were not evident in previous studies. The paper's findings may prompt the educational institution and government authorities to be concerted in promoting financial planning awareness nationwide.

PurposeThis study aims to bridge the research gap on the perception of accountants, intention to pursue an accounting career and the role of accountants in driving organizational change among undergraduates in Malaysia.Design/methodology/approachThe study sample comprises 279 undergraduate students from a business school in Malaysia. The constructs of the study are leadership, ethical values, professionalism and role of accountants as drivers of change. Exploratory factor analysis and Cronbach's alpha are used to assess validity and reliability. Descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression are employed for hypotheses testing.FindingsThe study found that students perceive accountants positively in leadership, professionalism and ethical values. However, only leadership and professionalism exert a significant positive influence on the role of the accountant as a driver of change. Ethical values was not only insignificant but had a negative relationship.Practical implicationsThe study suggests that there may be avenues for the profession to improve its branding to engage and retain future talent. It is imperative to embed greater emphasis of ethical values, as well as make business education more engaging.Originality/valueThe study explores the perception of the accounting profession among future business leaders in a developing nation. The findings show that students appear to perceive extrinsic characteristics (leadership and professionalism) as more important than intrinsic (ethical values) in driving organizational change.