Obama administration extends 'nudge' approach

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Financial Services ◽  
Public Policies ◽  
Behavioural Economics ◽  
Public Funds ◽  
Obama Administration ◽  
Content Type

Significance 'Nudge' thinking provides an alternative to public policies predicated on large expenditures of public funds, despite questions over its overall efficacy and the morality of its methods. Impacts Insights from behavioural economics can be deployed by NGOs and other stakeholders in promoting certain outcomes. The use of such tactics may increase in importance if policy gridlock continues to prevail in Washington. Nudge thinking may be used to induce unbanked individuals to use basic financial services.

A Real Or a Marginal Trend in Participatory Budgets in Local Governments

e-Finanse ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 12-21
Author(s):  
Beata Zofia Filipiak ◽  
Marek Dylewski
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Social Participation ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Current Practice ◽  
Public Policies ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Public Expenditures ◽  
Public Funds ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Participatory Budget

AbstractThe purpose of the article is analysis of participatory budgets as a tool for shaping decisions of local communities on the use of public funds. The authors ask the question of whether the current practice of using the participatory budget is actually a growing trend in local government finances or, after the initial euphoria resulting from participation, society ceased to notice the real possibilities of influencing the directions of public expenditures as an opportunity to legislate public policies implemented. It is expected that the conducted research will allow us to evaluate the participatory budget and indicate whether this tool practically acts as a stimulus for changes in the scope of tasks under public policies. The authors analyzed and evaluated the announced competitions for projects as part of the procedure for elaborating participatory budgeting for selected LGUs. Then, they carried out an in-depth analysis of the data used to assess real social participation in the process of establishing social policies.

The international strength of the euro will grow

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Euro Area ◽  
Financial Services ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Domestic Demand ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Us ◽  
Us Dollar ◽  
Strategic Autonomy ◽  
Geopolitical Risks ◽  
The Eu

Significance The proposals identified areas where the euro could potentially become more dominant, such as the issuance of green bonds, digital currencies, and international trade in raw materials and energy. Ambitions to enhance the international leverage of the euro are being driven by the aim to strengthen EU strategic autonomy amid rising geopolitical risks. Impacts Developing its digital finance sector would be an opportunity for the EU to enhance its strategic autonomy in financial services. Challenging the US dollar would require the euro-area to rebalance its economy away from foreign to domestic demand. Member state division will prevent the economic reconfiguration the euro-area needed to make the euro a truly global currency.

Mobile investment technology adoption among investors

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lu Fan
Keyword(s):  
Technology Adoption ◽  
Financial Services ◽  
Diffusion Of Innovations ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Investment Decision ◽  
Risk Tolerance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Investment Decision Making ◽  
Mobile Financial Services ◽  
Money Transfers

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine investors' internal characteristics, including investment literacy, risk tolerance and familiarity with mobile financial services, as antecedents of mobile investment technology adoption among American investors.Design/methodology/approachUsing the 2018 National Financial Capability Study and its supplemental Investor Survey, this study examined antecedents, including investors' internal characteristics, in relation to mobile investment technology adoption. Nested logistic regression analyses were performed for adopting mobile apps for investment decisions and for investment trading.FindingsThis study found that objective and subjective investment knowledge, experience using mobile banking for payments and money transfers, and certain ownerships of investment vehicles (such as whole-life insurance policies and ETFs) were significant determinants of mobile investment decision-making. On the other hand, subjective investment literacy, risk tolerance, familiarity with mobile financial services, and portfolio value, as well as certain types of investment vehicles were significantly associated with mobile investment trading.Originality/valueThis study is among the first to examine investors' investment literacy, risk tolerance and familiarity with mobile financial services as investors' internal characteristics in relation to mobile investment technology adoption. The diffusion of innovations theory and related concepts provide theoretical support for this study. The findings provide new insights into mobile investing as an emerging FinTech subject and provide implications for practitioners and FinTech developers, as well as contribute to the literature of mobile investment service adoption among retail investors.

Quality financial inclusion and its determinants in South Africa: evidence from survey data

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kudakwashe Joshua Chipunza ◽  
Ashenafi Fanta
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Survey Data ◽  
Financial Services ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Financial Inclusion ◽  
Least Squares Regression ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Demographic Groups ◽  
Financial Products ◽  
Data Limitations

PurposeThe study measured quality financial inclusion, a more comprehensive measure of financial inclusion, and examined its determinants at a consumer level in South Africa.Design/methodology/approachThis study leveraged on FinScope 2015 survey data to compute a quality financial inclusion index using polychoric principal component analysis. Subsequently, a heteroscedasticity consistent ordinary least squares regression model was employed to assess determinants of quality financial inclusion.FindingsThe empirical findings indicated that gender, education, financial literacy, income, location and geographical proximity determine quality financial inclusion. These findings could inform policymakers and financial services providers on how quality financial inclusion can be promoted through tailoring financial products for various socio-demographic groups.Research limitations/implicationsDue to data limitations, the study was confined to South Africa and did not capture digital financial inclusion. Hence, future studies could replicate the study in Sub-Saharan Africa's context and compute an index that captures digital financial inclusion.Practical implicationsThese findings could inform policymakers and financial services providers on how quality financial inclusion can be promoted through tailoring financial products for various socio-demographic groups.Originality/valueThis study proposed a more comprehensive measure of quality financial inclusion from a demand-side perspective by accounting for important dimensions that include diversity, affordability, appropriateness and flexibility of financial products and services.

Service journey quality: conceptualization, measurement and customer outcomes

2021 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 1-27
Author(s):  
Elina Jaakkola ◽  
Harri Terho
Keyword(s):  
Service Quality ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Customer Loyalty ◽  
Financial Services ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Service Research ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Critical Determinant ◽  
Content Type

PurposeThe quality of the customer journey has become a critical determinant of successful service delivery in contemporary business. Extant journey research focuses on the customer path to purchase, but pays less attention to the touchpoints related to service delivery and consumption that are key for understanding customer experiences in service-intensive contexts. The purpose of this study is to conceptualize service journey quality (SJQ), develop measures for the construct and study its key outcomes.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses a discovery-oriented research approach to conceptualize SJQ by synthesizing theory and field-based insights from customer focus group discussions. Next, using consumer survey data (N = 278) from the financial services context, the authors develop measures for the SJQ. Finally, based on an additional survey dataset (N = 239), the authors test the nomological validity and predictive relevance of the SJQ.FindingsSJQ comprises of three dimensions: (1) journey seamlessness, (2) journey personalization and (3) journey coherence. This study demonstrates that SJQ is a critical driver of service quality and customer loyalty in contemporary business. This study finds that the loyalty link is partially mediated through service quality, indicating that SJQ explains loyalty above and beyond service quality.Research limitations/implicationsSince service quality only partially mediates the link between service journey quality and customer loyalty, future studies should examine alternative mediators, such as customer experience, for a more comprehensive understanding of the performance effects.Practical implicationsThe study offers concrete tools for service managers who wish to understand and develop the quality of service journeys.Originality/valueThis study advances the service journey concept, demonstrates that the quality of the service journey is a critical driver of customer performance and provides rigorous journey constructs for future service research.

Artificial intelligence in financial services: a qualitative research to discover robo-advisory services

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ankita Bhatia ◽  
Arti Chandani ◽  
Rizwana Atiq ◽  
Mita Mehta ◽  
Rajiv Divekar
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Stock Market ◽  
Financial Services ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Individual Investors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Advisory Services ◽  
Wealth Management ◽  
Management Scenario ◽  
Indian Stock Market

Purpose The purpose of this study is to gauge the awareness and perception of Indian individual investors about a new fintech innovation known as robo-advisors in the wealth management scenario. Robo-advisors are comprehensive automated online advisory platforms that help investors in managing wealth by recommending portfolio allocations, which are based on certain algorithms. Design/methodology/approach This is a phenomenological qualitative study that used five focussed group discussions to gather the stipulated information. Purposive sampling was used and the sample comprised investors who actively invest in the Indian stock market. A semi-structured questionnaire and homogeneous discussions were used for this study. Discussion time for all the groups was 203 min. One of the authors moderated the discussions and translated the audio recordings verbatim. Subsequently, content analysis was carried out by using the NVIVO 12 software (QSR International) to derive different themes. Findings Factors such as cost-effectiveness, trust, data security, behavioural biases and sentiments of the investors were observed as crucial points which significantly impacted the perception of the investors. Furthermore, several suggestions on different ways to enhance the awareness levels of investors were brought up by the participants during the discussions. It was observed that some investors perceive robo-advisors as only an alternative for fund/wealth managers/brokers for quantitative analysis. Also, they strongly believe that human intervention is necessary to gauge the emotions of the investors. Hence, at present, robo-advisors for the Indian stock market, act only as a supplementary service rather than a substitute for financial advisors. Research limitations/implications Due to the explorative nature of the study and limited participants, the findings of the study cannot be generalised to the overall population. Future research is imperative to study the dynamic nature of artificial intelligence (AI) theories and investigate whether they are able to capture the sentiments of individual investors and human sentiments impacting the market. Practical implications This study gives an insight into the awareness, perception and opinion of the investors about robo-advisory services. From a managerial perspective, the findings suggest that additional attention needs to be devoted to the adoption and inculcation of AI and machine learning theories while building algorithms or logic to come up with effective models. Many investors expressed discontent with the current design of risk profiles of the investors. This helps to provide feedback for developers and designers of robo-advisors to include advanced and detailed programming to be able to do risk profiling in a more comprehensive and precise manner. Social implications In the future, robo-advisors will change the wealth management scenario. It is well-established that data is the new oil for all businesses in the present times. Technologies such as robo-advisor, need to evolve further in terms of predicting unstructured data, improvising qualitative analysis techniques to include the ability to gauge emotions of investors and markets in real-time. Additionally, the behavioural biases of both the programmers and the investors need to be taken care of simultaneously while designing these automated decision support systems. Originality/value This study fulfils an identified gap in the literature regarding the investors’ perception of new fintech innovation, that is, robo-advisors. It also clarifies the confusion about the awareness level of robo-advisors amongst Indian individual investors by examining their attitudes and by suggesting innovations for future research. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to investigate the awareness, perception and attitudes of individual investors towards robo-advisors.

Strategy war games: how business can outperform the competition

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 3-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason West ◽  
Maiko Chu ◽  
Lincoln Crooks ◽  
Matthew Bradley-Ho
Keyword(s):  
Financial Services ◽  
Business Strategy ◽  
Joint Venture ◽  
Corporate Strategy ◽  
Insurance Company ◽  
Content Type ◽  
External Threats ◽  
Internal Capabilities ◽  
Banking Institution ◽  
The Impact

PurposeBusiness wargames represent an alternative approach to challenge organisations to uncover internal capabilities through competitive actions designed to counteract external threats and address strategic mismatches. Internal capabilities uncovered as a result of actions taken during a competitive wargame aims to replicate market conditions found in competitive industries. These outcomes are difficult to achieve using many popular strategy design methods. The purpose of this study is to examine the use of war game-style activities in formulating corporate strategy that incorporate the natural behaviors of the leadership team in creating strategic plans.Design/methodology/approachUsing a case study from the banc assurance industry, the authors review a wargame process composed of two competing teams; the banc assurance organisation and an unincorporated joint venture between a banking institution and an insurance company. The goal of each entity was to develop strategy to improve both customer satisfaction and market share at the expense of each other given a finite set of resources. Success was judged using a simple set of metrics defined by both a consumer team and an independent umpire.FindingsConsumers of financial services are price sensitive and highly brand loyal. Unwillingness to switch brands to a prevailing competitor or other emerging (Fintech) institution persists to a threshold of a price and/or value differential of 15 to 20 per cent. The results highlight potential deficiencies in the proposed banc assurance strategy through the observation of customer behaviours and inefficient resource use.Originality/valueThe wargame approach conducted in a realistic landscape revealed internal capabilities not otherwise evident. The impact of authentic human behaviours in setting business strategy was captured which is very difficult to replicate using more formal scenario analysis and planning.

Cameroonian perspectives on entrepreneurship: discovering subcultural heterogeneity

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 258-277
Author(s):  
Dave Valliere
Keyword(s):  
National Culture ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Q Methodology ◽  
Public Policies ◽  
Attitudes And Beliefs ◽  
Cultural Attitudes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Regional Effects ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activities ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to explore cultural attitudes and beliefs about entrepreneurship in the southwestern region of Cameroon. This study also identifies the existence of subcultural variations with important implications for the development of entrepreneurial activities in Cameroon. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses the hybrid qualitative/quantitative Q methodology to survey and analyze a purposively diverse sample of individuals and thereby discover subcultural structures and patterns to the attitudes and beliefs that exist in Cameroonian culture. Findings This study discovers three distinct subcultures that differ significantly in their attitudes and beliefs about entrepreneurship. These subcultures can neither be predicted from commonly used national measures of cultures, such as those of Hofstede, nor are they directly attributable to regional effects. Research limitations/implications The author calls into question the continuing use of national culture as a construct in explaining and predicting entrepreneurial activities, through discovery of subcultures at odds with national measures. Further research should be undertaken to assess the prevalence within Cameroonian society of the three widely different subcultures identified here. Practical implications This paper highlights the importance of incorporating subcultural variations in attitudes and beliefs (whether regional, tribal or other) in the development and implementation of public policies to affect national entrepreneurship. Originality/value The paper applies a novel methodology to qualitatively explore the subjective variations in the meaning and value of entrepreneurship in Cameroonian society, and to quantitatively develop a structure or typology to these variations.

Audit firms and industry specialization in an emerging economy

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 338-362
Author(s):  
Karim Hegazy ◽  
Mohamed Hegazy
Keyword(s):  
Financial Services ◽  
Capital Investment ◽  
Emerging Economy ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Brand Name ◽  
Industry Specialization ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Audit Firm ◽  
Big 4 ◽  
Audit Firms

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the implications of audit industry specialization on auditor’s retention and growth within an emerging economy. Factors such as whether the firm is a Big 4, a firm with international affiliation, a local firm and the type of industry were studied to analyse the reasons behind audit firm retention and growth.Design/methodology/approachThis research is based on a field study related to audit firms providing services to listed companies in an emerging economy. The sample includes the top 100 publicly held companies’ in the Egyptian stock market during 2006-2011 for which their annual reports are analysed to determine the audit firms’ retention and growth. An assessment of the continuity of the auditors and the increase in the number of audit clients were also measured.FindingsThe results confirm that industry specialization has an important effect on the auditor’s retention, especially for industries where capital investment is significant such as buildings, construction, financial services, housing and real estate. Big 4 audit firms retained their clients because of their industry specialization and brand name. Evidence was found that good knowledge of accounting and auditing standards resulted in audit firms with international affiliation competing with the Big 4 for clients’ retention and growth.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the existing literature, as it is among the first to provide empirical evidence on auditor retention, growth and auditor’s dominance in an emerging economy such as Egypt.

scholarly journals How customers’ offline experience affects the adoption of online banking

2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 1072-1092 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonia Estrella-Ramon ◽  
Manuel Sánchez-Pérez ◽  
Gilbert Swinnen
Keyword(s):  
Technology Acceptance ◽  
Diffusion Of Innovation ◽  
Financial Services ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Online Banking ◽  
Adoption Process ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Parametric Survival Model ◽  
Self Service Technology ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of customers’ offline transaction behaviour in the form of loyalty and cross-buying on the adoption of self-service technology innovations by non-business customers in the context of online banking. Design/methodology/approach This study extends the Diffusion of Innovation Theory, as well as the Technology Acceptance Model adapted to describe and model individual customer observed behaviours in the pre-adoption stage of the adoption process. The Log-logistic parametric survival model is applied using panel data for 1,357 randomly selected new customers from a bank. Findings Significant differences arise among customers’ behaviours related to periodicity of interactions with the bank and quantity of products involved in the interactions, as well as convenience and risk of the interactions. The results corroborate that those customers who are more likely to adopt the online banking faster show an offline behavioural pattern more related to higher periodicity of interactions and convenience, rather than a high number of products involved in their interactions, the use of high-risk products or the maintenance of a higher average monthly liabilities. Originality/value While previous research explaining the process of adoption of the online channel has mainly focused on the analysis of customers’ attitudes (i.e. customers’ perceptions) and demographics, in this research an additional explanation is proposed using customers’ offline transaction behaviours. In addition, there is a considerable amount of research about the adoption of new technologies, but there is a scarcity of studies looking specifically at the financial services and banking industry.

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