Madhura K.

Trust is a fundamental element in financial interactions, particularly in the advisory sector, influencing investment decisions and overall client satisfaction. This study aims to explore the impact of trust-building strategies on investment decisions through the financial advisor-client relationship. The research employs a structured questionnaire to gather data on trust-building strategies, the advisor-client relationship, and investment decisions. The study found that trust-building strategies, such as transparency and competence demonstration, positively influenced investor decisions. Specifically, 78% of investors reported increased confidence in their investment choices after engaging with advisors who prioritized transparency and expertise. Moreover, 85% of investors indicated a preference for advisors who demonstrated reliability and ethical conduct, leading to a stronger advisor-client relationship. The findings underscore the importance of trust in financial advisory services and suggest that enhancing trust through transparent practices can lead to more informed and collaborative decision-making processes. The study emphasizes the evolving nature of investment decision-making and proposes integrating technological innovations like AI and robo-advisors. The study provides valuable insights for financial institutions to invest in advisor training and guidance, benefiting all stakeholders involved.

This research examines how digital experiences on social media influence women’s buying behavior towards online fashion. Furthermore, it examines how challenges moderate these purchase decisions, and how attitudes mediate these purchase decisions. The research executed in Southern Karnataka state of India obtained the responses from 800 women employed through a formal questionnaire and a systematic method of selection. The measurement models and structural models were examined using AMOS 23. The study indicates that when women engage with social media and gain easy access to information and feedback through reviews, they develop a stronger positive outlook on buying fashion. These favourable opinions lead directly to consumer buying choices and additionally shape the relationship between the digital experience and their purchasing patterns on online sites. The issues regarding online shopping discourage the transformation of positive views into real transactions. The results reveal that ease of use, exemplified by intuitive navigation (β = 0.188) and easy access to product information, positively affect consumer attitudes. Electronic word-of-mouth (E-WOM), including reviews and recommendations (β = 0.456), also significantly boosts trust, leading to higher purchase intentions. Attitude acts as a strong mediator, with its effect on buying behavior showing a β coefficient of 0.609. However, challenges like concerns over data privacy and difficulties in verifying review authenticity negatively affect the attitude-behavior relationship, with a moderating effect of β = -0.092. The findings show the necessity for more robust data protection laws and better accessibility of online reviews to minimize seen threats and enhance shopper trust in digital clothing shopping.

Considering the snakebite effect experience of investors and their decision-making in the era of robo-advisors, this study focuses on examining the mediating role of the snakebite effect between the value of robo-advisors and investment decisions and assessing the moderation of social-emotional well-being and resilience among active investors. The research process began with an exhaustive review of existing literature and the development of a structured questionnaire. A further survey was undertaken by collecting 361 responses from active investors residing in the region of South India using robo-advisors, and finally, the mediation and moderation were analyzed utilizing confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to check the model fit and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to test hypothetical relationships. The results validate the intervening role of the Snakebite Effect in the relationship between the value of Robo-Advisors and investment decision-making. Further, social emotional well-being and resilience of investors significantly lessen the negative impact of the snakebite effect on investment decision-making. The role of social-emotional well-being and resilience is vital as high tendency leads to a low snakebite effect, better effectiveness of robo-advisors, and investment decision-making. This study provides various theoretical, practical, and managerial implications for improved robo-advisory services and increased adoption among diverse investor segments. In particular, the study emphasizes that financial institutions should focus on hybrid advisory models that combine the analytical capabilities of robo-advisors with the empathetic, personal touch of human advisors.

Bridging the gap between stock market literacy and active participation is the ultimate objective for institutions and policymakers globally, due to its ability to promote inclusive economic growth. In light of this, the study intended to assess the impact of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation on stock market literacy leading to participation. Further, an attempt was made to analyze the intervening role of investment decision and the moderating role of Tri-Layer Market Analysis. With the descriptive design, a survey questionnaire was used to gather data for this investigation, collecting responses from 376 commerce and management students across government, private, and deemed universities between June and July 2024 from the region of Karnataka, India. Following the data collection, statistical techniques, such as regression analysis, one-way Analysis of Variance, and structural equation modelling, were applied to evaluate intrinsic and extrinsic motivation’s direct and indirect impacts on students’ stock market participation. As per the results, the Intrinsic (β =.361, t = 8.416, p = 0.000) and External Motivations (β =.422, t = 9.816, p = 0.000) substantially impact stock market literacy that ultimately impacts investment decision making (β = .450, t = 9.761, p = 0.000) and stock market participation (β =.207, t = 4.495, p = 0.000). The results also validate the intervening role of investment decision in the relationship between stock market literacy and stock market participation (indirect effect: .131).

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
Retailers are leveraging social commerce by integrating advanced social media features to drive customer engagement and create superior value. Thus, a present study is an attempt to analyze the impact of perceived ease of use, user engagement and technological factors on social commerce usage and to assess its contribution towards the purchase intention of the working professionals. 380 working women (from organized sectors including education, industry, health, government, banking, and IT) were targeted from Bengaluru city of India by adopting the snowball sampling method which was further analyzed using independent sample t-test, regression analysis, and Structural Equation Modelling. The results of the study show the effects of perceived ease of use (β = .434), user engagement (β = .517), and technological factors (β = .662) on social commerce usage (SCU) are studied, which mediates purchase intention (β = .689). These results indicate that SCU is one of the main factors affecting purchase intention (β = .751). This also show that there is significant influence of perceived ease of use, user engagement, and technological factors on social commerce usage that has ultimately led to their purchase intention among working professionals. Based on these findings, it is crucial to perfect social commerce strategies in order to improve consumer’s engagement and encourage purchase behavior.