Moderating Factor Research Articles

Financial Technology and Literacy Shaping Students' Financial Management with Digital Literacy

Financial management behavior is crucial for students, particularly as they engage with evolving financial technologies. However, there is a limited understanding of how financial technology and financial literacy interact to shape financial behavior, especially when considering digital literacy as a moderating factor. This study addresses this knowledge gap by examining the roles of financial technology and financial literacy on students' financial management behavior, with digital literacy as a potential moderator. Using a quantitative research method, primary data were gathered through a questionnaire survey from a sample of 114 accounting students at Muhammadiyah University of Sidoarjo, class of 2020. The findings indicate a positive relationship between financial technology and financial literacy on financial management behavior. Furthermore, digital literacy was found to moderate the effect of financial technology, strengthening its influence on students' financial management behavior. However, digital literacy did not moderate the influence of financial literacy on financial management behavior. The novelty of this research lies in its exploration of digital literacy's role as a moderating variable. Implications suggest the importance of incorporating digital literacy into financial education programs to enhance students' financial management practices. Highlights: Positive Relationship: Financial technology and literacy improve students' financial management behavior. Moderating Role: Digital literacy strengthens the effect of financial technology on financial behavior. No Moderation: Digital literacy does not moderate the impact of financial literacy on behavior. Keywords: Financial Technology, Financial Literacy, Digital Literacy, Financial Management, Student Behavior

Study on factors affecting resilience behaviours of residents in coastal rural community management in response to typhoons

Coastal rural areas are highly vulnerable to a variety of climate-related disasters, including severe typhoons, extreme temperatures, and other environmental changes, each significantly damaging their ecosystems, economies, and communities. To more effectively predict, respond to, and recover from adverse events, and to maintain community stability and prosperity in these areas, building community resilience has become a central objective in coastal management. A comprehensive understanding of residents' resilience behaviours is essential for bolstering community resilience. Existing research primarily focuses on the causes and intervention strategies associated with residents' resilience, yet it neglects the mechanisms underlying residents' resilience behaviours. This study focuses on typhoon disasters in coastal rural areas, applying the Rural Coastal Community Resilience framework for the first time to expand typhoon resilience behaviours among coastal rural residents from five dimensions. It utilizes the widely recognized Theory of Planned Behaviour model, incorporating three critical variables essential for resilience building-risk perception, trust in community agencies, and community support-to analyse the mechanisms of resilience behaviours. The findings indicate that perceived behavioural control is the foremost predictor of resilience behaviours during typhoons and contrary to traditional views, trust in community agencies did not impact behavioural intentions positively. Moreover, community support, acting as a moderating factor, significantly facilitated the transformation from intentions to behaviours, highlighting the importance of external support. These innovative findings provide valuable strategies and insights for resilience building in coastal rural areas.

Competence, Training, Professionalism, and Financial Rewards Shaping Students’ Career Choice as Auditors

This study addresses the increasing demand for competent auditors by exploring how competence, professional training, and audit professionalism influence accounting students' career interest in auditing. Despite previous research on career selection, the knowledge gap lies in understanding the role of financial rewards as a moderating factor. This research aims to assess the impact of these factors while considering financial rewards as a moderator. Using a quantitative approach, data was collected from 120 accounting students from the 2020 and 2021 cohorts at Muhammadiyah University of Sidoarjo. Results indicate a positive relationship between competence, professional training, and audit professionalism with students' interest in auditing. Financial rewards were found to moderate the relationship between competence and career interest, as well as audit professionalism and career interest; however, it did not moderate professional training. The novelty of this study lies in examining financial rewards' moderating role, offering new insights for academic institutions to focus on competence and professionalism enhancement. Highlights: The study identifies financial rewards as a key factor that can strengthen the relationship between competence and students' interest in auditing careers. Professional training does not show a moderating effect with financial rewards in influencing career choices. The findings suggest a focus on competence and audit professionalism development for better career motivation. Keywords: Interest, Competence, Professional Training, Audit Professionalism, Financial Rewards

The Association between Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, 5HTTLPR, and the Role of Ethnicity: A Meta-Analysis.

The current meta-analysis looks at the effect of ethnicity on the connection between 5-HTTLPR SNPs and PTSD patients in all published genetic association studies. In accordance with PRISMA principles, the literature was searched in PubMed, Scopus, and ScienceDirect. A consistent method was followed by two reviewers who independently chose publications for inclusion and extracted data. Using a random-effects model, a meta-analysis of the biallelic and triallelic studies was conducted in order to determine the pooled OR and the associated 95% CI. The impact estimates were corrected for minor study effects, including publication bias, using the trim-and-fill approach. After 17 studies were deemed eligible for inclusion, the overall sample size was 8838 controls and 2586 PTSD patients, as opposed to 627 and 3524 in the triallelic meta-analysis. The results of our meta-analysis and comprehensive review do not point to a direct main effect of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphisms on PTSD. Nonetheless, preliminary data suggest that ethnicity influences the association between 5-HTTLPR and PTSD. According to our findings, ethnicity-especially African ethnicity-has a major influence on the relationship between 5-HTTLPR and PTSD and needs to be taken into account as a crucial moderating factor in further studies.

The relationship between self-control and academic achievement: A meta-analysis investigation

Many studies have reported a significant relationship between self-control and academic achievement, although the strength of this relationship varies across studies. Moderator factors that influence the relationship between the two variables have yet to be clearly defined. Therefore, this meta-analysis aims further to explore the relationship between self-control and academic achievement and investigate moderating factors that may affect the strength of the relationship. The study involved 70 samples drawn from 16 primary studies published between 2005 and 2018. Data analysis was conducted using a random effects model with a significance level of α = 5%. In addition to the main analysis, six moderator variables were analyzed, namely education level, geographical region, self-control measurement tool, academic achievement measurement tool, and publication year. All analyses were conducted with the help of JASP software. The analysis of the 70 samples showed a moderate positive relationship between self-control and academic achievement (r = 0.32, p 0.001). Analysis of the moderator variables showed that all of these variables had a significant effect on the strength of the relationship between self-control and academic performance. Based on education level, the positive relationship was stronger in studies involving mixed participants and weakest in studies involving university students. The relationship was also stronger in studies involving students in the United States compared to students in Africa and Europe, using the ISC scale to measure self-control compared to the BSCS and other scales and using grade point average (GPA) as a measure of academic achievement compared to other measures. Potential explanations and implications of these findings for research and practice are discussed.

Does Board Gender Diversity Influence SDGs Disclosure? Insight from Top 15 JSE-Listed Mining Companies

An assessment was made halfway into the sustainable development goals (SDGs) agenda period, and the findings indicated a slower than anticipated pace towards the implementation of the SDGs agenda. One of the possible causes of the slower pace is a lack of strong governance mechanisms such as gender diversity, sustainability committees, and board sustainability experience in institutions. The study sought to investigate the influence of board gender diversity on SDGs disclosure amongst the top 15 JSE-listed mining companies in light of their contribution towards the attainment of this global agenda. Mining in South Africa affects about nine percent of the country’s population. The study was anchored on the agency and the stakeholder theories. This is quantitative research which employed a keyword search to measure SDGs disclosure in the annual integrated reports for the sampled companies from 2019 to 2023. The study hypothesised that there is a significant positive relationship between a female-dominated board and SDGs disclosure in the sampled companies. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, as well as regression analysis were employed. The results established a lack of significant evidence of a positive or negative relationship between gender diversity and SDGs disclosure, a significant positive relationship between board size and SDGs disclosure, and no relationship between board independence and SDGs disclosure in the sampled mining companies. It was concluded that board gender diversity in corporate boards in the top 15 JSE-listed mining companies has no impact on the SDGs disclosure. The study recommends including more moderating factors and conducting more empirical studies towards the attainment of conclusive results in this space.

Maternal high BMI: Sex-dimorphic alterations in maternal and offspring stress indices

Maternal body mass index (BMI) influences pregnancy and birth outcomes along with child metabolic and neurodevelopmental health and fetal sex may be a moderating factor in these effects. Alternations in autonomic nervous system (ANS) functioning, identified in heart rate (HR) measurements, could present early markers of these prenatal programming effects in both the mother and the developing fetus. This study examines the associations between pre-pregnancy BMI and maternal and fetal ANS functioning and infant postnatal behavioral outcomes stratified by fetal sex. Pregnant women (N=176) were recruited at gestational week (GW) T1: 12–22 and categorized into Normal (BMI< 25) or High BMI (BMI > 25). Women attended laboratory sessions at T2: GW 23–28, and T3: GW 34–36 to assess maternal and fetal HR and HR variability (HRV) at baseline and after a stressor at T3. Infant behavior was assessed at 4 months using the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised. Women with high BMI bearing female fetuses had higher HR and lower HRV at both gestational time points. Later in the third trimester, female fetuses of high BMI women exhibited lower HRV when challenged with a stressor. At 4 months, female infants were rated as having lower scores on the Orienting/Regulatory scale. Our findings provide evidence of female sex-specific programming of maternal pre-pregnancy BMI on maternal ANS regulation and neurodevelopment identified in-utero and continuing into early infancy.

Risk Management in Product Diversification: The Role of Managerial Overconfidence in Cost Stickiness—Evidence from Iran

Purpose: This study investigates the relationship between product diversification strategy and cost stickiness, focusing on managerial overconfidence as a moderating factor. It aims to address a critical gap in the literature by providing empirical insights grounded in the Resource-Based View (RBV) theory, specifically examining firms listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange. Methodology: Utilizing a sample of 149 companies from the Tehran Stock Exchange in Iran spanning from 2015 to 2021, this study tests two hypotheses: (1) a positive relationship between product diversification and cost stickiness and (2) the amplification of this relationship by managerial overconfidence. Product diversification is quantified using the Herfindahl Index, while managerial overconfidence is measured through an investment-based index derived from capital expenditures. Cost stickiness is assessed by analysing the asymmetric behaviour of costs in response to changes in sales, focusing on how costs tend to remain high even when sales decrease. Findings: The empirical results substantiate both hypotheses, demonstrating a significant positive relationship between product diversification strategy and cost stickiness. Furthermore, managerial overconfidence amplifies this relationship, highlighting the role of internal resources and managerial perceptions in shaping cost behaviour. Originality: This study contributes substantially to the literature by being among the first to empirically examine the interplay between product diversification strategy, cost stickiness, and managerial overconfidence. Extending the RBV theory to cost behaviour and strategic management provides novel insights for scholars and practitioners in entrepreneurship, corporate strategy, and organizational behaviour. The findings underscore the importance of strategic choices and managerial traits in determining cost stickiness, offering valuable implications for financial analysts, auditors, and stakeholders.

The role of gene–environment interaction in the formation of risk attitudes

Understanding the formation of risk preferences is crucial for elucidating the roots of economic, social, and health inequalities. However, this area remains inadequately explored. This study employs a risk preference measure directly linked to the labor market to examine whether previous experiences with high unemployment rates influence current risk decision-making among the elderly, and whether this impact varies by genotype. The findings indicate that individuals with low genetic predispositions for risk tolerance are more significantly influenced by historical fluctuations in unemployment rates than those with high genetic predispositions for risk tolerance. Consequently, this paper identifies genetic endowment as a crucial moderating factor that shapes how past experiences impact current decision-making processes. This disparity in how past experiences shape risk preferences based on genetic predisposition may further amplify inequalities in health, wealth, income, and other outcomes associated with risk preferences.

The effect of social withdrawal on life satisfaction among multicultural adolescents: The mediating and moderating effects of parental support

BackgroundThe number of multicultural adolescents is continuously increasing, and they tend to experience more psychological difficulties than their non-multicultural peers. ObjectiveThis study investigates the mediating and moderating effects of parental support on the relationship between social withdrawal and life satisfaction among multicultural adolescents. MethodsThis secondary data analysis utilized the Multicultural Children & Adolescents Panel Survey conducted by the National Youth Policy Institute. The analysis included data from 2018 and involved 1197 multicultural adolescents. The data were analyzed using the R-Statistics 4.1.1 program. ResultsSocial withdrawal and parental support had a detrimental impact on life satisfaction among multicultural adolescents. Parental support also played a partial mediating role in the connection between social support and life satisfaction. Furthermore, parental support was a moderating factor capable of mitigating the negative influence of social withdrawal on life satisfaction. ConclusionMeasures to reduce social withdrawal and increase parental support are very effective in improving the life satisfaction of multicultural adolescents. More focused professional intervention measures for social withdrawal and parental support must be considered when seeking and preparing support measures to improve the life satisfaction of multicultural adolescents.

The moderating effect of system quality on the relationship between customer satisfaction and purchase intention: PLS-SEM & fsQCA approaches

The study aims to understand the antecedents of customer behaviour that lead to high purchase intention, encompassing moderating role of system quality to achieve purchase intention. Theoretically, this research employs the technology acceptance model to examine the proposed relationship and complexity theory to employ fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) as a robust complementary method to the partial least squares-structural equation model (PLS-SEM). The proposed conceptual model is measured using data gathered from online customers in Bangladesh's electronic market. A survey of 311 e-commerce customers, using PLS-SEM and fsQCA models, reveals that the antecedents of the customer behavioural practices are highly correlated to achieving purchase intention. The findings from PLS-SEM show that perceived enjoyment and perceived ease of use are highly supported by purchase intention. Similarly, system quality influences purchase intention and acts as a moderator. In the fsQCA analysis, hedonic motivation and perceived enjoyment are necessary conditions to achieve a high purchase intention. The hybrid models add the methodological contribution by combining both symmetric and asymmetric relationships, thereby providing a holistic understanding of system quality as a moderating factor to achieve high purchase intention, especially in the context of the e-commerce market in Bangladesh. This research outlines implications for the theoretical and managerial perspectives to build a better relationship between factors of satisfaction and purchase intention and enable policymakers to contribute better managerial decisions.

Acceptance and self-protection in government, commercial, and interpersonal surveillance contexts: An exploratory study

Digital surveillance is pervasive in cyberspace, with various parties continuously monitoring online activities. The ways in which internet users perceive and respond to such surveillance across overlapping contexts warrants deeper exploration. This study delves into the acceptance of digital surveillance by internet users and their subsequent self-protective actions against it in three distinct contexts: government, commercial, and interpersonal surveillance. Survey responses collected from 356 internet users in the U.S. showed that acceptance levels for surveillance varied between institutional and interpersonal contexts. However, the degree of self-protection remained consistent across all three contexts. Privacy concerns, algorithm awareness, and perceived privacy control played nuanced roles to both surveillance acceptance and self-protection measures in each context. Interestingly, political orientation emerged as a significant moderating factor on surveillance acceptance. Conservative-leaning participants were less accepting of surveillance overall, especially government surveillance. For conservatives, higher privacy concerns meant less acceptance of both government and corporate surveillance. Liberals’ acceptance levels remained fairly consistent and were less affected by privacy concerns. These findings underscore the significance of contextual differences in privacy and surveillance research and provide implications for refining the existing theoretical frameworks.

Resolving Early Retirement Conflicts Among School Teachers for Sustainable Living

Although the official retirement age for Malaysia is 60 years, a significant number of academia opt to retire early. The number of early retirement applicants increases on a yearly basis. Exploring the factors that influence academia to retire early is essential, particularly with the upcoming retirement of baby boomers. This study aims to investigate the influence of gender as a moderating factor in the association between early retirement intentions (ERI) and several factors, including financial security, health conditions, workload, and a lack of IT skills, within the context of teachers. Out of a total of 180 questionnaires sent, 126 teachers responded to the given questionnaire. The selection of teachers has been done randomly around the Klang Valley and the questionnaire has been distributed using the Stratified Random Sampling Method. PLS-SEM v4 has been used to analyse the collected data. The results show that health conditions and a lack of IT skills are important influences on early retirement decisions. This study sheds light on the complexities of early retirement decisions among teachers and highlights the importance of addressing health and IT skill-related issues to better retain and manage experienced educators in the Klang Valley, ultimately contributing to achieving sustainable existence in the region. By understanding the factors influencing early retirement intentions, educational institutions and policymakers should take proactive measures to create a supportive work environment that fosters teacher retention.

Bridging the health literacy gap through AI chatbot design: the impact of gender and doctor cues on chatbot trust and acceptance

PurposeNotwithstanding their potential benefits especially for individuals with low health literacy, users are still somewhat skeptical about the reliability of healthcare chatbots. The present study aims to address this challenge by investigating strategies to enhance users’ cognitive and emotional trust in healthcare chatbots. Particularly, this study aims to understand the effects of chatbot design cues in increasing trust and future chatbot use intention for low health literacy users.Design/methodology/approachWe conducted two experimental studies with a final sample of 327 (Study 1) and 241 (Study 2). Three different chatbots were developed (Chatbot design: Bot vs Male-doctor vs Female-doctor). Participants were asked to have a medical consultation with the chatbot. Participants self-reported their health literacy scores. The PROCESS model 7 was used to analyze the hypotheses.FindingsThe results showed that the female-doctor cues elicited greater cognitive and emotional trust, whereas the male-doctor cues only led to greater cognitive trust (vs bot-like cues). Importantly, this study found that users’ health literacy is a significant moderating factor in shaping cognitive and emotional trust. The results indicated that both the female and male-doctor cues’ positive effects on cognitive trust were significant for those with lower levels of health literacy. Furthermore, the positive effect of the female-doctor cues on emotional trust was also significant only for those whose health literacy level was low. The increased cognitive and emotional trust led to greater future intention to use the chatbot, confirming significant moderated mediation effects.Originality/valueDespite the strong economic and educational benefits of healthcare chatbots for low health literacy users, studies examining how healthcare chatbot design cues affect low health literate users surprisingly remained scarce. The results of this study suggest that healthcare chatbots can be a promising technological intervention to narrow the health literacy gap when aligned with appropriate design cues.

Two Paths to Violence: Individual versus Group Emotions during Conflict Escalation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories

Experiencing repression creates intense emotions and raises dilemmas about handling political action to achieve social change. Past studies suggest that mainly group-based emotions are associated with support for violent collective action while the exact influence of individual emotions remains unclear. This research compares the association of individual- versus group-based emotions with violent collective action while examining conflict context as the moderating factor. We propose to distinguish two context aspects—collective versus personal threat—determining the relative impact of individual versus group emotions on support for violence. We conducted two quantitative field studies in the Occupied Palestinian Territories during different types of conflict experience, defined by either prevalent personally experienced threat versus elevated collectively experienced threat (Study 1), or both (Study 2). Results indicate that for mainly collectively experienced threat, group (but not individual) emotions predicted violent collective action, while for personally experienced threat, individual (but not group) emotions predicted violent engagement.

Impacts of government social media on public engagement in low-carbon practices focusing on Japan

This study investigates the role of Government Social Media (GSM) in enhancing public engagement with Low-Carbon Practices (LCP) in Japan. Motivated by the need to foster sustainable development and mitigate climate change impacts, this research utilizes negative binomial regression model analyzing 1022 posts from nine Japanese government social media accounts. Our findings reveal that increased media richness negatively correlates with engagement, suggesting that content depth over visual appeal is more effective for LCP-related communication. Surprisingly, the dialogic loop reduces engagement, indicating complex public reactions to governmental initiatives. Content themes related to governmental actions and LCP information significantly enhance engagement, while emotional valence shows minimal impact. The study introduces 'social media capital' as a moderating factor, which mitigates the negative effects of dialogic loops and media richness on engagement, and influences the impact of content themes. These insights provide a foundation for future research and guide the development of effective public engagement strategies in environmental policy. The study highlights the need for nuanced GSM strategies that prioritize information quality and relevance to increase public participation in low-carbon initiatives.

Peran Motivasi Internal dalam Pengobatan Penyakit Fibromyalgia

This research examines the role of internal motivation in the success of fibromyalgia treatment through a systematic review and meta-analysis. Out of 1,247 identified articles, 27 studies met the inclusion criteria. The meta-analysis results indicate a significant positive correlation between internal motivation and medication adherence (r = 0.42, p &lt; 0.001), as well as quality of life (r = 0.38, p &lt; 0.001) among fibromyalgia patients. Additionally, a significant negative relationship was found between internal motivation and pain intensity (r = -0.31, p &lt; 0.001). Moderator analysis revealed that the effect of internal motivation is stronger in behavioral interventions compared to pharmacological treatments (Q = 8.7, p = 0.003). Furthermore, meta-regression results indicated that disease duration significantly moderates the relationship between internal motivation and fibromyalgia treatment (? = -0.02, p = 0.03), with internal motivation having a more substantial effect in patients with a longer duration of illness. Additionally, the average age of fibromyalgia patients was found to moderate the relationship between internal motivation and patient quality of life (? = 0.01, p = 0.02). Among six clinical trials evaluating interventions to enhance internal motivation, the meta-analysis showed a significant effectiveness (d = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.38 to 0.74, p &lt; 0.001). Consequently, these findings extend previous research by Ng et al. (2015) on the role of internal motivation in chronic conditions, demonstrating its strong relevance in the context of fibromyalgia. This study also differs from Karlsson et al. (2019), which did not find a significant correlation. The results reveal a consistent relationship between internal motivation and fibromyalgia treatment outcomes. Lastly, the novelty of this study lies in identifying specific moderating factors and providing a comprehensive evaluation of motivation-based interventions in the context of fibromyalgia.

How perceived brand localness affects purchase intentions: Examining the role of brand authenticity

ABSTRACT This study aims to examine purchase intentions of local brands among consumers in emerging markets. Specifically, drawing upon signaling theory, this study examines the impact of brand authenticity on consumers’ perceptions of brand localness. Furthermore, the current study examines the consumer demographic as a moderating factor in the relationship between perceived brand localness (PBL) and brand authenticity (BA). Data were collected from a total of 380 Chinese consumers who participated in an online survey through social media platforms. To test the proposed hypotheses, the researchers utilized the PROCESS model in SPSS 26. The findings indicate that, after controlling for consumer ethnocentrism, PBL positively influences purchase intentions for local brands. Furthermore, the results reveal that BA mediates the positive effect of PBL on purchase intentions. Interestingly, the positive relationship between PBL and BA is stronger among older consumers compared to the younger generation. This study contributes to the international business literature by examining the effects of PBL, brand authenticity, and consumer age on purchase intentions towards local brands. This study also offers valuable insights for brand managers to effectively communicate with consumers in emerging markets, particularly by emphasizing the authenticity of their offerings.

Greenness moderates the relationship between self-rated social standing and depression among older adults in the Canadian longitudinal study on aging

IntroductionGreenness is considered to be a health-promoting feature of both natural and built environments and has the potential to influence mental health outcomes. However, most studies to date have neglected to address whether greenness differentially affects mental health outcomes for individuals across the socioeconomic spectrum. Our study explored if greenness is a moderating factor in the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and mental health using data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA).MethodsA cross-sectional design was used to compare mental health outcomes between individuals with different levels of SES and residential greenness. We used self-rated social standing as a measure of SES and depression score measured using the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies 10-Item Depression Scale (CESD-10) as a measure of mental health. Greenness was measured using the annual maximum Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) within a 1,000 m buffer area of participants' residential postal code locations.ResultsThere was a statistically significant moderating effect of greenness for the relationship between self-rated social standing and depression score. As greenness increased, individuals with lower self-rated social standing had the greatest decreases in depression score.DiscussionThe results of our study suggests that targeting greening interventions at individuals and communities with low SES may reduce depressive symptoms overall, as well as decrease socioeconomic inequalities in depression.

Financial Performance's Impact on Firm Value: How Managerial Ownership Mediates the Relationship

Banks play a significant role in facilitating the generation of economic growth opportunities, which can impact the achievement of government-set economic growth objectives. Hence, it is imperative to foster a climate that promotes banks' competitive growth and resilience, enabling them to effectively confront many problems in the face of escalating global complexities. To maintain a competitive edge, the bank must exhibit strong performance that positively influences corporate value. For that, the objective of this study is to ascertain the key determinants that exert a substantial impact on the valuation of firms, specifically examining the potential influence of capital structure, profitability, profits per share, and dividend payout ratio on the value of financial institutions. Another aim of the study is to ascertain the potential moderating effect of managerial ownership on the independent variable of company value. The sample selection included purposive random sampling, with the criterion of including only those with complete data from the research period spanning 2011 to 2022, using Moderation Regression and data panel Analysis. This study shows that earnings per share and dividend payout ratio significantly impact banks' valuation. In the interim, the Moderation Regression Analysis has yielded findings indicating that management ownership is a moderating factor in the relationship between earnings per share and banking value.