Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Human Ecology-Personal Financial Planning / Martin Seay / Little is known about the relationships between personality characteristics and financial satisfaction. This dissertation examines three questions. First, what are the relationships between personality characteristics and financial satisfaction at the American state level? Second, what are the relationships between personality characteristics and financial satisfaction at the individual level? Third, what are the relationships between personality characteristics and financial satisfaction among financially strained households? Essay one utilizes data aggregated at the state level from two nationally representative datasets in order to examine the relationships between Big Five personality traits (openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism) and financial satisfaction at the American state level. Results from bivariate analyses and a two-block hierarchical regression model indicate that conscientiousness is negatively associated with financial satisfaction and extraversion is positively associated with financial satisfaction at the American state level. Essay two utilizes data from the 2012 wave of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) to examine relationships between personality characteristics (Big Five personality traits and positive/negative affect) and financial satisfaction at the individual level. Results from a three-block ordinal logistic regression model indicate that personality characteristics are important predictors of financial satisfaction. Extraversion is positively associated with financial satisfaction while neuroticism and agreeableness are negatively associated with financial satisfaction when Big Five personality traits were the only personality characteristics incorporated into the model. However, when positive affect and negative affect were added to the model, only agreeableness remained negatively associated with financial satisfaction, while both positive and negative affect were positively and negatively associated with financial satisfaction, respectively. Essay three utilizes data from the 2012 wave of the HRS to examine relationships between personality characteristics (Big Five personality traits and positive/negative affect) and financial satisfaction among individuals in households exhibiting both objective and subjective indicators of financial strain. Results from a series of ordinal logistic regressions indicate that individual level associations between personality characteristics and financial satisfaction remained largely the same among households exhibiting financial strain, though evidence suggests that interventions aimed at influencing positive affect may be an effective means to enhancing well-being among financially strained populations. Overall, personality characteristics were found to be important predictors of financial satisfaction which have been largely overlooked in prior models of financial satisfaction. Going forward, a better understanding of the relationships between personality characteristics and subjective measures of economic well-being will be needed in order to determine how consumer well-being can be most effectively promoted.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Family Studies and Human Services / Kristy Archuleta / This dissertation explores the association of culture with financial satisfaction. Social identity theory, a successor of symbolic interaction framework (Mead, 1930) serves as the theoretical framework for this study, conceptualizing the impact of culture on identity formation through the values, norms, and beliefs of cultures adopted by individuals. Social identity theory also provides an understanding of the power and influence of reference groups supplied by culture through the context provided for the internal determination of satisfaction. The cultures examined (e.g., geography, socioeconomic status, religiosity), each had associations with life domains which influence satisfaction according to well-being research. The associations of cultures with financial satisfaction is a largely unexplored area of research, perhaps due to the difficulty in defining and measuring culture, as well as the challenges associated with influencing financial satisfaction. Data for this study was obtained from the 2012 General Social Survey, conducted by the National Opinion Research Center. This study found the geographic characteristics of home ownership and living in a single family home were associated with financial satisfaction and individuals living in the same state as they did when age 16 had more points of association with financial satisfaction than those not living in the same state. Further, of the SES measures in the study, income was found to be consistently associated with financial satisfaction. Religiosity, including religiosity by religious text (e.g., Bible, Torah, Quran) and prayer were not found to be associated with financial satisfaction. However, frequency of attendance at religious services had a statistically significant association with financial satisfaction and was found to be a moderator of the financial satisfaction of those living in the Eastern and Western U.S. Regions. Understanding the association of culture with financial satisfaction may provide planners with insights into factors which contribute to a client’s values, beliefs and attitudes about their finances. An awareness of the power of cultural values, beliefs and values to influence satisfaction may make a positive contribution to the quality of conversation between planners and clients as they work toward establishing authentic goals and objectives for the client and develop plans to achieve those goals.

This 14-year longitudinal study extends previous research on money in marriage by using multiple measures of money to predict seven dimensions of marital quality. Data collection began when the couples were newlyweds and extended through the first decade and a half of marriage, thus making it possible to examine the effects of money on marital quality across time. Overall, the findings indicate that money affects marital quality. Specifically, low income was associated behavioral negativity over the entire course of the fourteen year study. Low-income couples who were content with their financial situations were more satisfied than low-income couples that were unhappy about their financial situation. The effects of money on marriage increased over time such that by the time couples were nearly a decade a half into marriage couple’s income was associated with both positive marital behaviors and marital satisfaction. Similarly, the link between financial satisfaction and marital satisfaction emerged over time. The implications of these findings as well as directions for future research are discussed. / text

Thesis on the topic Satisfaction of health and social workers with financial rewards deals with the the subjective perception of satisfaction with the possibilities of financial compensation. The aim of of this paper is to describe the health and social care services by extension the South Bohemian Region and to map out the possibilities funding these services and not least theoretically identify the main motivational factors at work and care for employees. For processing the research part of the thesis was used quantitative research strategy, data capture been performed via interviewing methods, through a standardized questionnaire Job Satisfaction Survey, which was translated into the Czech language as a Průzkum spokojenosti se zaměstnáním M. Fraňkem. The research showed that both professions are dissatisfied with their financial rewards, but the overall rate of job satisfaction was in the range of ambivalence.

This study was conducted to examine the relationship between completion of a personal financial management course and financial satisfaction, confidence, and practices. The relationship between the use of recommended financial management practices and financial satisfaction and confidence was also examined. Data for this study were collected through a questionnaire mailed to a sample of Utah State University graduates who had taken a personal financial management course at the university and those who had not. The survey investigated financial satisfaction, confidence in financial management skills, and use of recommended financial management techniques. Mean financial satisfaction scores were computed by averaging responses to the multi-question six-point Likert scale. Confidence was measured by computing the mean score on a single-question six-point Likert scale. The measurement of use of recommended financial management practices was computed by summing the points assigned for use of recommended practices and the extent to which each was implemented. The recommended financial management practices scores were then divided into three groups: poor, average, and good. One-way analysis of variance and the Scheffe multiple range test were used to determine if differences existed in the mean scores on financial satisfaction, confidence , and practices between respondents who had completed a college level personal financial management course and those who had not. These tests revealed that there is no significant difference in financial satisfaction, confidence, and practices between subjects who had completed a financial management course and those who had not. There was a significant difference between the groups in the mean number of recommended financial practices used and financial satisfaction and confidence, although mean scores were only separated by one point.

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Mortgage loan debt is prevalent among middle-aged and older Americans. With higher average outstanding balances, many people are unlikely to pay off their mortgage debt by retirement. Meanwhile, as people age, health shocks are more likely to occur. Medical expenses may compete with mortgage payments and relate to financial insecurity in later years. In order to alleviate financial strain during times of financial hardship, senior homeowners may find reverse mortgage the solution they are looking for. Targeting American adults age 50 and older, this dissertation investigates mortgage loan debt and financial security using panel data from the Health and Retirement Study. Chapter 1 provides an overview of this dissertation and three studies. Chapter 2 investigates whether retirement preparedness plays a role in mortgage status at retirement, shown here as whether a person has mortgage debt and how much the remaining balance is (Waves 2004-2014). Chapter 3 examines health impact on likelihood of paying off mortgage loans under different health conditions, with estimates on expected time to mortgage payoff (Waves 2004-2014). Chapter 4 focuses on reverse mortgages and their impact on senior borrowers’ financial satisfaction and liquidity constraint (Waves 2010-2016). Chapter 5 summarizes major findings in three studies and highlights the contribution of this dissertation toward middle-aged and older Americans’ financial security. Limitations of three studies are discussed in Chapter 6. Three studies provide evidence on 1) the importance of preparedness on reduced mortgage burden; 2) adverse impact of health shock on likelihood of mortgage payoff; and 3) using reverse mortgages to reduce financial strain and increase financial satisfaction. Implications are addressed in each study.

The motivation for subjective well-being research rather than Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is becoming important to the roles of many governments across the globe and so identifying the strongest correlates of subjective well-being is vital as a starting point to informing policies that support subjective well-being. This thesis investigated the correlates of subjective well-being. Chapter 1 introduced the topic and has been divided into two parts: section 1 explores the motivation for subjective well-being research and section 2 presents the conceptual model of subjective well-being. Chapter 2 gave the rationale for the methodological approaches taken to investigate factors that are associated with subjective well-being. Also, the methods chapter presented limitations of the data used. Chapter 3 explored the determinants of subjective well-being in representative samples of nations; and the results obtained in chapter 3 led to three systematic reviews and meta-analyses (Chapter 4, 5 and 6). Chapter 4 conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between income inequality and subjective well-being to test the general assumption that people's subjective well-being can be increased by tackling income inequality and investigated inconsistencies of previous studies reporting a negative, positive or no association between income inequality and subjective well-being. Chapter 5 carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between health status and subjective well-being because the results of the empirical study conducted in chapter 3 suggest that health status is positively associated with subjective well-being. Chapter 6 conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between financial satisfaction and subjective well-being as the results of the empirical study conducted in chapter 3 suggest that financial satisfaction is positively associated with subjective well-being. Chapter 7 discussed the results, highlighted the need for further studies and policy directions and concluded. Taken altogether these studies suggest that: (1) subjective well-being is important to informing policies that support subjective well-being, (2) they might be circumstances where income inequality may not be associated with people's subjective well-being, (3) health status and financial satisfaction are positively associated with subjective well-being and the magnitude of the association is affected by key operational and methodological factors, (4) life satisfaction might be preferred to happiness as a measure of subjective well-being because it may better captures the influence of health status and financial satisfaction, (5) government policies that support subjective well-being measures should consider using self-reported health status and financial satisfaction amongst factors that are correlated with people's subjective well-being, (6) the association between health status and subjective well-being and the link between financial satisfaction and subjective well-being are medium and further research is required to identify other strongest correlates of subjective well-being.

The problem of this study was to determine the academic, personal, social, and financial level of satisfaction of the international students at North Texas State University. The subjects were 351 international students representing fifty-four different countries. These students were enrolled full time during the fall semester of 1981. The instrument used to gather the data was a questionnaire. The questionnaire was validated by a panel of experts and pretested on a small sample of international students.

Financial stress is a condition that is becoming more prevalent in today’s society. Factors such as high debt levels, low savings and economic recessions all contribute to the financial stress experienced by people across all nations. Research has found that financial stress negatively affects employees’ performance at work. Quality employees play a vital role in the success of a business. As a result, employers should strive to ensure employees’ well-being. With these increasing pressures on personal finance and its interference on work, should management attempt to improve employees’ financial well-being? Management needs to be convinced that their actions can improve their employees’ financial well-being. This study established and measured the relationship that the subjective measures financial efficacy and satisfaction with remuneration have on personal financial well-being. A sample size of 9 057 employees from different sectors in South Africa was used. Data was analysed using Pearson correlation coefficients and multiple regression analysis. Three hypotheses were tested. Hypothesis 1: There is a relationship between satisfaction with remuneration and personal financial well-being. Hypothesis 2: There is a relationship between personal financial well-being and personal financial efficacy. Hypothesis 3: Personal financial efficacy moderates the relationship between satisfaction with remuneration and personal financial wellbeing. The study found that all three hypotheses were supported. Personal financial efficacy and satisfaction with remuneration were found to have a large positive relationship with personal financial well-being. The study also established that the relationship between satisfaction with remuneration and financial well-being was stronger in people with higher personal financial efficacy. It is argued that management can intervene with employees’ financial well-being by improving financial efficacy through financial literacy education and by improving their satisfaction with remuneration. / MCom (Management Accountancy), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014