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This study aims to examine the lay notions of happiness and determine the factors that influence one’s experience of happiness.

This study used a qualitative technique to understand better how happiness is conceptualised. This study uses a purposive sample to select a diverse and representative sample (N = 357). Participants responded to an open-ended questionnaire designed to elucidate their understanding of happiness. The data is analysed using grounded theory and a bottom-up approach.

Happiness is defined as a harmonious state where the individual’s physiological and psychological needs are satisfied in the past, present and future, leading them to live a meaningful and contented life. However, several factors may affect an individual’s level of happiness. Family and friends; health and wellness; personal and professional successes; recreation and personal traits all contributed to the feeling of happiness. On the other hand, factors impeding happiness include unfavourable surroundings, work and play impediments, strained relationships and undesirable behavioural characteristics. The authors compare and contrast these findings to the current empirical literature and hypotheses.

Despite the substantial study, no uniform definition of happiness exists. The existing body of knowledge is dominated by western viewpoints, which are not necessarily congruent with their eastern counterparts. This study presents a thorough and culturally unique understanding of happiness. This understanding would enable academics, policymakers and educators to develop successful policies that promote happiness. Additionally, this study aid future researchers to develop new measures that enable cross-regional and cross-national comparisons of happiness dynamics

The purpose of this paper is to propose an integrative framework bringing together results from neuroplasticity and decision-making from a neuroscience perspective with those from market plasticity, i.e. with which practices market actors shape markets.

Provided that developments in neuroscience indicate that training the brain for orientation toward efficient decision-making processes under uncertainty is possible, an in-depth analysis can be conducted by using the integrative framework, which was set up by the authors for advancing research efforts in neuroeconomics and neurofinance on these lines.

Markets have a plastic character; they can change shape and form and remain in that way thereafter. The marketers have always been causing this change to succeed in their marketing strategies and efforts. Plasticity, hitherto considered by marketing, market sociology and evolutionary economics, has a potential in financial decision-making processes, especially regarding its role in training the brain for stable financial decisions.

The theoretical approach can be incorporated for delivering an alternative representation of the knowledge processes associated with financial decisions.

The practical approach can be used for improving the practical aspects of financial decision-making processes.

The contribution is the first of its kind which integrates neuroscience approaches of plasticity and decision-making with the concept of market plasticity from the literature on economics and management, showing their similarities and opening a new front of discussion on how these two approaches can learn from each other to increase the explanatory power of financial decision-making processes and to gain new insights for financial decision makers on how to make more efficient financial decisions in the times of uncertainty.

The purpose of the present study is to contribute to the existing literature by examining the nexus and the connectedness between classes S&P Green Bond Index, S&P GSCI Crude Oil Index, S&P GSCI Gold, MSCI Emerging Markets Index, MSCI World Index and Bitcoin, during the pre-and post-Covid period beginning from August 2011 to July 2021 (10 years).

The study employs time-varying parameter vector autoregression and Quantile regression methods to understand the impact of events on traditional and upcoming asset classes. To further understand the connectedness of assets under consideration, the study used Geo-Political Risk Index (GPR) and Global Economic Policy and Uncertainty index (GPEU).

Findings show that these markets are strongly linked, which will only expand in the post-pandemic future. Before the pandemic, the MSCI World and Emerging Markets indices contributed the most shocks to the remaining market variables. Green bond index shows a greater correlation and shock transmission with gold. Bitcoin can no longer be used as a good hedging instrument, validating the fact that the 21st-century technology assets. The results further opine that under extreme economic consequences with high GPR and GPEU, even gold cannot be considered a safe investment asset.

Financial markets and the players who administer and communicate their investment logics are heavily reliant on conventional asset classes such as oil, gas, coal, nuclear and allied groupings, but these emerging asset classes are attempting to diversify.

Measurement of financial well-being has remained a challenge for the governments for a long time. This paper responds to this challenge by taking an integrative approach, whereby the previous conceptualizations of financial well-being are examined. Further, we propose a new conceptualization of financial well-being using the parameters of objective and subjective well-being.

We conduct a widespread review of the literature with regard to the linkage between financial literacy and financial capability.

Numerous studies report the pertinent role of behavioural economics in rational decision making. This paper understands the role of behavioural economics in regard to financial well-being.

Empirical investigation in measuring the linkage between financial literacy and financial capability needs to be developed to achieve the goal of financial well-being.

This paper makes a noble contribution to the literature by proposing a new conceptualization of financial well-being spread over financial literacy, financial capability and psychological factors.

This paper aims to consolidate and review the literature in the field of market-calibrated option pricing analysis. By doing so, the paper brings out the gaps in the extant literature and makes suggestions for future researchers in the field.

The methodology used in this research is inspired by the works of Ferreira et al. (2016), Jabbour (2013), Lage Junior and Godinho Filho (2010), Seuring (2013) and Sharma et al. (2018). A total of 1,500 papers written on the pricing of options globally are collated from the Web of Science ranging across 2010-2018.

Most of the research papers present mathematical proposals to value options; without calibrating it with real market data points. The authors bring out five important gaps in the extant literature.

This is arguably the first study that consolidates the literature in the field of market calibrated option pricing analysis with a view to suggest directions for future researchers.

The study evaluated the interlinkages and diversification opportunities in the context of emerging bond markets from 2007:1 to 2020:5, using the vector autoregressive (VAR) model and sub‐period analyses to compare BRIC (2007:1–2010:11) and BRICS (2010:12–2020:5) regimes. As indicated by the breaking unit‐root test, dummies for the global financial crisis and COVID‐19 were incorporated in the analyses. VAR results showed that the Indian bond market responds positively to the previous change in the Chinese bond market during the BRIC era while BRICS bond markets are mostly uninfluenced by prior behavior patterns of one another. These suggested that the diversification opportunity has been increased following the admission of South Africa to the league. In addition, variance decomposition and impulse response provide proofs to suggest that BRICS bond markets are more exogenous and independent compared to what is obtained during the BRIC period. Consequently, the authors concluded that the BRICS bloc has provided greater diversification opportunities for emerging markets’ bondholders in the recent past.