The role of financial parenting, childhood financial socialization and childhood financial experiences in developing financial well-being among adolescents in their later life

Abstract

PurposePrevious research suggests the crucial role of parents in developing social behaviors of their children. However, less evidence is available on the role of parents in shaping responsible financial management behavior among children for their later life. This study bridges this gap by investigating the role of financial parenting in improving well-being among young Saudi people. Particularly, this study examines the role of financial parenting, childhood financial socialization and childhood financial experiences in developing responsible financial self-efficacy and financial coping behaviors to determine financial well-being among young adults in Saudi Arabia.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a two-step mixed-method approach comprising analyses of symmetric (net effects) and asymmetric (combinatory effects) modelling to test the proposed model. A symmetrical analysis examines the role of financial parenting factors that are sufficient for improving financial well-being among Saudis. An asymmetrical analysis is used to explore that a set of combinations of financial parenting conditions lead to high performance of financial well-being. Data have been collected from 350 students enrolled in undergraduate and postgraduate programs in Saudi Arabia.FindingsAccording to asymmetric modeling (i.e. fsQCA) analysis, parents and practitioners can combine financial parenting, childhood financial socialization and childhood financial experiences along with financial self-efficacy and financial coping behaviors in a way that satisfied the conditions (i.e. causal antecedent conditions) leading to high financial well-being. Importantly, the condition of high financial well-being is not mirror opposite of causal antecedent conditions of low financial well-being.Research limitations/implicationsThis study contributes to the current knowledge by applying both symmetrical and asymmetrical modelling to indicate a high level of financial well-being. Besides, there is sparse empirical evidence available in the context of Saudi Arabia on how financial parenting, socialization and financial experiences in childhood improve children's financial well-being in their later life.Practical implicationsAccording to asymmetric modeling (i.e. fsQCA) analysis, parents and practitioners can combine financial parenting, childhood financial socialization and childhood financial experiences along with financial self-efficacy and financial coping behaviors in a way that satisfied the conditions (i.e. causal antecedent conditions) leading to high financial well-being. Importantly, the condition of high financial well-being is not mirror opposite of causal antecedent conditions of low financial well-being. The parents and practitioners must be cautious to regulate the condition in which the combination of the antecedents is not in line with the causal recipes of financial well-being negation.Originality/valueThis study deepens the current knowledge by employing both symmetrical and asymmetrical analysis for testing structural and configurational models indicating the high performance of financial well-being . The study proposes and tests an integrated model to bring new contributions to prior literature. This study also attempts to propose valuable research directions for future researchers interested in the topic.