The relationship between financial efficacy, satisfaction with remuneration and personal financial well-being

Abstract

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.