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Financial inclusion can be proxied by banking status. The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential effects of financial capability on the financial fragility of US adults with various banking statuses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This study utilized the 2021 National Financial Capability Study (NFCS) dataset to investigate the relationship between financial capability and financial fragility among consumers with different banking statuses. The analysis controlled for employment shocks, health shocks and other consumer characteristics. Banking statuses included fully banked, under-banked (utilizing both banking and alternative financial services) and unbanked individuals. Logistic regression analyses were conducted on both the entire sample and subsamples based on banking statuses.

The results showed that financial capability was negatively associated with financial fragility. The magnitude of the potential negative effect of financial capability was the greatest among the fully banked group, followed by the underbanked and unbanked groups. Respondents who were underbanked or unbanked were more likely to experience financial fragility than those who were fully banked. Additionally, respondents who were laid off or furloughed during the pandemic were more likely to experience financial fragility than those without employment shocks. The effect size of financial capability factors was greater than that of COVID-19 shock factors. These results suggest that higher levels of both financial capability and financial inclusion may be effective in reducing the risk of financial fragility.

This study represents one of the first attempts to examine the potential effects of financial capability on financial fragility among consumers with various banking statuses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, this study offers new evidence to determine whether COVID-19 shocks, as measured by health and employment status, are associated with financial fragility. Additionally, the effect size of financial capability factors is greater than that of COVID-19 shock factors. The results from the 2021 NFCS dataset provide valuable insights for banking professionals and public policymakers on how to enhance consumer financial wellbeing.

This study aims to examine the association between parental financial socialization and life satisfaction and the mediating roles of desirable financial behavior in the association between parental financial socialization and life satisfaction of college students in India. Furthermore, this research also explores the moderating effects of parents’ socioeconomic characteristics (education, income and professions) in the association between parental financial socialization and desirable financial behavior.

A sample of 1,161 college students was collected in India. Parental financial socialization is measured by direct parental teaching in this study. The first stage moderated mediation model is performed to examine the direct and indirect effects through financial behavior of parental financial on life satisfaction as well as the moderating role of parents’ socioeconomic characteristics.

The mediation analysis shows that parental direct teaching is positively associated with young adults’ financial behavior, which in turn contributes to their life satisfaction. Furthermore, this study also finds negative moderation effects of parental education on the association between parental direct teaching and children's financial behavior.

This study extends the knowledge of family financial socialization in the context of India. Moreover, it examines the mediation roles of desirable financial behavior in the association between parental direct teaching and children’s life satisfaction. Furthermore, this paper explores the potential influence of parents’ education, income and professions on children’s financial behavior and life satisfaction.

The purpose of this paper is to explore library research that uses geographic information systems (GIS) as a tool to evaluate library services and resources to ascertain current trends and establish future directions for this growing research area.

The study searched full text for geographic information systems in two databases: Library and Information Science Source (LISS) and Library, Information Science and Technology Abstracts (LISTA), replicating the method used in a prior literature review. The titles and abstracts of the search results were analyzed to gather only the research that used GIS as a tool to measure and analyze library services.

This study found growth in the last decade for library research using GIS. There remain two ways the tool is primarily used: to analyze service areas and to manage facilities and collections.

The findings are relevant for library and information science researchers and practitioners because they summarize a specific area of research that has grown and changed and that still has potential to be used more widely. Using GIS in practice and research could benefit all library users and nonusers because spatial analysis facilitates more precise and informed delivery of services and resources.

The paper provides future directions for use of GIS in library research and attempts to define subdivisions within this research area to clarify the area for researchers and practitioners.

This study proposes a systematic and comprehensive circular economy (CE) performance measure as an instrument to operationalize and quantify circularity. It seeks to evaluate the relative contribution of blockchain technology to evaluate various measures in this study. A general research agenda for investigating blockchain capabilities to performance assessment in CE is presented.

Empirical survey data from 32 CE and blockchain experts are collected to inform this study. Inductive reasoning, heatmaps, and a middle-range theory building approach are utilized to generalize theoretical patterns for blockchain support of CE performance assessment and measurement. A series of propositions are then developed as a middle-range theory for the true, false, perceptible, and hidden affordances of blockchain technology capabilities for CE performance measurement.

Overall, sixteen performance measures and metrics are identified and examined. The authors find most of these measures and metrics – based on literature and expert opinion – can be supported using blockchain technology capabilities. Four major blockchain capabilities, transparency and traceability, reliability and security, smart contracts, and incentivization and tokenization are shown to have varying potential support for CE performance assessment. There needs to be an evaluation of true, false, perceptible, and hidden affordances of blockchain technology capabilities for CE performance measurement in future studies.

Blockchain application for CE, and specifically performance measurements, is a new area. Research and practice evaluation on this issue is important but needs substantially additional investigation to help CE progress. This study provides a framework for evaluation and a foundation for future research at the nexus of CE, blockchain technology, and performance measurement.

With the development of financial technology (FinTech), this paper aims to investigate the association between mobile payment use and payment satisfaction using data from the 2017 China Household Finance Survey (CHFS).

This study uses ordered probit regressions to examine the association between mobile payments and payment satisfaction because the dependent variable is ordinal. To alleviate endogeneity problems, this study uses instrument variables and Heckman's two-step estimation. Furthermore, to explore the potential mediators in this process, this study follows the three steps suggested by Baron and Kenny (1986). Finally, this study divides the whole sample into subsamples to examine whether the association between mobile payments and payment satisfaction differs in diverse groups.

The results indicate that mobile payment use is positively associated with payment satisfaction. Moreover, mediation analyses imply that mobile payment use may help increase consumers' credit availability, which eventually improves payment satisfaction. Three moderators of this association are financial literacy, expenditure level and portfolio diversification, which enhance the positive association between mobile payment use and payment satisfaction.

This study explores the potential mediators between mobile payment use and payment satisfaction, which is beneficial to comprehensively understanding various pathways of this process. Moreover, this study conducts heterogeneous analyses to investigate whether associations between mobile payments and payment satisfaction are moderated by various factors, which will allow policymakers to formulate policies appropriate for specific situations of diverse consumer groups.

Accurate information is the basis for well-informed decision-making, which is particularly challenging in the dynamic reality of a pandemic. Search engines are a major gateway for obtaining information, yet little is known about the quality and scientific accuracy of information answering conspiracy-related queries about COVID-19, especially outside of English-speaking countries and languages.

The authors conducted an algorithmic audit of Google Search, emulating search queries about COVID-19 conspiracy theories in 10 different locations and four languages (English, Arabic, Russian, and Hebrew) and used content analysis by native language speakers to examine the quality of the available information.

Searching the same conspiracies in different languages led to fundamentally different results. English had the largest share of 52% high-quality scientific information. The average quality score of the English-language results was significantly higher than in Russian and Arabic. Non-English languages had a considerably higher percentage of conspiracy-supporting content. In Russian, nearly 40% of the results supported conspiracies compared to 18% in English.

This study’s findings highlight structural differences that significantly limit access to high-quality, balanced, and accurate information about the pandemic, despite its existence on the Internet in another language. Addressing these gaps has the potential to improve individual decision-making collective outcomes for non-English societies.

Therapeutic community (TC) is a primary approach that has been used in all Indonesian National Narcotics Board residential treatment centers since 2012. In TC, all daily activities are strengthened into habits and routines without strong therapeutic or educational reasons. But recently, the TC members become more critical and have growing individual needs. Thus, the Indonesian National Narcotics Board (INNB) tried to combine the TC approach with thematic group activities (TGA) intervention using an integrated individual approach to improve the outcomes. This study aims to evaluate the client’s behavioral changes after undergoing a TC approach added with TGA intervention for two months.

A mixed-methods study with the pre-post design was applied to 122 participants from six INNB rehabilitation centers. Pre-post behavioral changes were measured by using Client Evaluation of Self Treatment, University Rhode Island Change Assessment Scale, modified-Addiction Severity Index 3.0 and World Health Organization-Quality of Life instruments. Analysis was done by using univariate and bivariate on quantitative data, focus group discussion, and medical record review.

The participants’ mean age was 30.57 years, majority male, 50% graduated from senior high schools and were employed. Bivariate analysis resulted statistically significant (p-value < 0.05) in tendencies to seek treatment, participate more actively, maintain a good relationship with counselors during the program, and decrease the psychological problems of participants. The client’s social state, as well as adaptation to the program, were also amended.

TGA-added TC approach was proven to improve clients’ behavioral changes, particularly in social functioning, program involvement and psychological conditions, in people with substance use disorders.

As cryptocurrencies continue to gain viability as an asset class, institutional investors and publicly traded firms have started taking investment positions in digital currencies. What firms may not be considering, however, is the effect these assets may have on their risk profiles. This study aims to (1) measure the effect of cryptocurrencies on the risk and return characteristics of publicly traded companies; (2) decipher the motives behind holding cryptocurrencies as an asset class; and (3) determine whether one reason for holding is more effective than another. To conduct this research, the four largest publicly traded holders of cryptocurrency as well as four of the most prominent cryptocurrencies are explored.

The cross-sectional analysis approach has been used to analyze the daily returns, volatility, betas and Sharpe Ratios of firms during periods without cryptocurrency strategies and during periods with cryptocurrency strategies.

The impact of the cryptocurrency asset class on common stock performance and corporate disclosures are documented. The importance of risk disclosures on cryptocurrency holdings is emphasized: Firms must better inform their stakeholders through comprehensive disclosures in financial statements. Firms utilize cryptocurrencies for various reasons such as treasury management tools or as direct sources of income. Consequently, the impact on returns and risks varies substantially.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first studies on cryptocurrency investments in the treasury departments of publicly traded companies. The study contributes to the literature by extracting relevant information regarding company risk reporting and cryptocurrency risk at firms. The conclusions also promote firm transparency with detailed reporting of cryptocurrency holding risks.

This paper aims to provide information about the importance of employee engagement in uncertain economic times. While the benefits of employee engagement are a widely accepted concept in theory, these efforts often suffer during an unpredictable socioeconomic environment. Often, the first things to go are the very initiatives and culture creators that drive a happy and productive workforce, which can then negatively affect business outcomes. There is a need to strike a balance between the bottom line and a well-rounded and inclusive employer relationship.

The paper is based upon the author’s research as well as strategies and programs they have implemented during their HR leadership career.

To improve employee engagement, it is essential to involve various departments within HR. It is important to consider all aspects of the employee experience, including members from each team, to create a well-rounded employee life cycle, even during challenging times. Committing to the methods outlined in the article and maintaining accountability will help an organization achieve lasting results.

The paper provides the author’s unique insights into effective strategies for employee engagement and improving the employee’s overall experience.