Individuals are increasingly being encouraged to take responsibility for their financial well-being, particularly their retirement. Therefore, examining pension literacy is critical, since it helps in sustaining financial security during times of financial fragility. This paper investigates pension knowledge, attitudes and private retirement savings among Generation X. It analyzes the importance and provides an overview of pension literacy in Croatia. The results show that pension literacy in Croatia among Generation x is moderate and there is substantial space to improve the level of pension knowledge, attitudes, and particularly, pension behavior.

Purpose – This study examines how distinct dimensions of materialism shape minimalist consumption orientations among the young. Specifically, it investigates how materialism centrality, happiness, and success relate to three dimensions of consumer minimalism—limited possessions, sparse aesthetics, and mindfully curated consumption—during adolescence and emerging adulthood, and explores whether these relationships differ between girls and boys. Design/Methodology/Approach – A quantitative survey was conducted among adolescents (N=837). The conceptual model was tested using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Potential gender differences were examined via permutation-based multigroup analysis. Findings and implications – Materialism centrality emerged as the most robust predictor, showing strong and consistently negative associations with all three minimalist orientations, indicating that identity-anchored attachment to possessions represents the primary barrier to youth minimalism. Materialism happiness showed no independent associations with minimalist orientations once the other materialism dimensions and controls were considered. Materialism success was positively associated with sparse aesthetics, suggesting that aesthetic minimalism may be compatible with success-oriented value logics and may operate as a form of refined simplicity rather than broad restraint. Multigroup analysis indicated that the structural relationships were largely comparable across girls and boys; the only significant difference was a stronger negative effect of centrality on sparse aesthetics among boys. These results underscore the need to conceptualize materialism and minimalism as multidimensional, partially compatible orientations rather than simple opposites in youth consumption. Limitations – The cross-sectional design limits causal inference, while the focus on a single cultural context may restrict generalizability. Originality – By integrating materialism and consumer minimalism within a single analytical framework, this study advances a theory on identity-based consumption and offers novel insights into the dialectical and gender-sensitive negotiation of sustainable consumption orientations in early adulthood.

ABSTRACT Young adults need to adopt responsible financial behaviors in order to protect themselves as consumers. While much about the factors that influence financial behavior is known from cross‐sectional and panel studies of mixed samples of younger and older individuals, relatively few studies have focused on young adults and even fewer have applied a longitudinal design. The present study analyzed 862 people 16–28 years old in Croatia at two time points at least 12 months apart using a multilevel, mixed‐effects model based on the new theoretical framework of financial capability. Changes were analyzed in the participants' consideration of future consequences (CFC) and in numerous variables related to responsible financial behavior. Changes in CFC over time showed significant associations with changes in responsible consumer behavior, financial planning, impulsive consumption, and investing engagement, but not with digital banking use or saving experience. These results associate changes in rational thinking disposition, here measured as CFC, with changes in financial behaviors among young adults. These findings may guide future research to clarify the drivers of financial behavior as well as design effective educational interventions.

To address the issue of overconsumption, the concept of sustainable consumption has been proposed as a solution. To thoroughly define sustainable consumption and gain a deeper understanding of the mechanism that drives consumers toward sustainable choices, it is essential to analyze the concept within the framework of marketing theory. This conceptual paper aims to position the sustainable consumption within marketing schools of thought and identify the most significant ones through a review of pertinent literature. The paper presents sustainable consumption as an integral part of relevant marketing schools. It concludes that schools based on an interactive approach are particularly noteworthy for sustainable consumption, as an increasing number of consumers are opting for sustainability, and their input is crucial for marketing professionals. On the other hand, sustainable consumption encompasses the integration of social and ecological values along with economic considerations, aligning with the triple bottom line. This emphasis makes non-economic schools more pertinent in this context. Finally, the paper brings recommendations for further research in the field.

The study aims to determine possible venues for the categorization of young adults based on their financial capabilities in order to facilitate a shift in how we define, evaluate, and shape their financial capability. A cross-sectional survey of 2,299 Croatians 16-28 years old led to the identification of four consumer types: "extreme impulsives," "illiterate impulsives," "moderately uninterested," and "rational planners." To guide in-depth analyses, the study identified key psychological and environmental characteristics that differentiated types of young consumers based on financial capability. The types differed significantly in their psychological characteristics relevant for responsible and rational financial decision-making and behavior (actively openminded thinking, consideration of future consequences, dispositional optimism, and life satisfaction), their environmental characteristics considering social surroundings (parental and peer social norms), and real-life outcomes such as the experience of money shortages. Finally, the study discusses the implications of the findings for financial education and interventions for increasing financial capability and improving financial decision-making and, consequently, responsible financial behaviors among young people.

Purpose-The main aim of the paper is to analyze the possibilities of positioning sustainable development values within the marketing communication of the beauty industry by using persuasive appeals, specifically rational and emotional appeals. Design/Methodology/Approach-The paper utilized content analysis to examine marketing campaigns considering both for-profit and non-profit organizations. Findings and implications-Based on the findings, campaigns linked to corporate marketing strategies are more visible compared to those tied to non-profit marketing strategies. Rational appeals are more prevalent than emotional ones. Regarding the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) dimensions, it is evident that the environmental dimension holds the highest prominence, followed by the social dimension, while the economic dimension is relatively underrepresented. The paper offered recommendations for enhancing all dimensions and improving the effectiveness of both corporate and non-profit marketing strategies to promote sustainable development values among consumers in the beauty industry. Limitations-The main limitation of the study lies in its focus on marketing campaigns in English only and those accessible online. Future research should be expanded in scope to encompass other languages. Originality-Despite the increasing emphasis on integrating sustainability into marketing, there is still a significant gap in published research examining how the fundamental values of sustainable development can be effectively integrated into marketing campaigns on a global scale. The study addresses the research gap by recommending specific guidelines aimed at reducing the negative impacts of the beauty industry on society and the environment, as well as personal welfare, through rational and emotional appeals within sustain-ability communication.

Global overconsumption contributes to social inequality, environmental degradation, economic instability, and overall life dissatisfaction. The key to addressing this issue is consumer minimalism. It enables consumers to reduce excessive consumption, promote ecological, social, and economic balance, and improve their well-being. However, previous research has not thoroughly examined the factors shaping consumer minimalism and mechanisms that support it, especially among adolescents as an emerging consumer segment. Adolescence represents a critical stage for identity formation and the development of lifelong attitudes and behaviors; hence, it is essential for adolescents to embrace responsible and sustainable consumer behavior. Consequently, their actions can positively impact the achievement of sustainable development goals. The research aimed to develop a theoretical framework for shaping consumer minimalism based on the Capability-Opportunity-Motivation-Behavior (COM-B) theory. The research was conducted on a stratified random sample of 661 adolescents, using a questionnaire for data collection. The results confirmed that capability for consumer minimalism as perceived behavioral control and attitudes about micro-anti-consumption, motivation for consumer minimalism, and opportunity for consumer minimalism as parental norms are positively connected to consumer minimalism. Therefore, it can be concluded that the behavioral determinants within the COM-B theory shape consumer minimalism in adolescents.

This study examines the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in consumer-facing food systems to support sustainable consumption. It aims to synthesize empirical insights, identify dominant types of AI interventions and propose a process-based theoretical model that captures how AI solutions facilitate sustainable consumer behavior. A systematic literature review was conducted in accordance with the SPAR-4-SLR protocol. 66 peer-reviewed articles published between 2010 and 2025 were included. Results were thematically organized using Transformative Consumer Research (TCR) and Technology Affordances to explore how AI-enabled solutions facilitate value creation and foster behavior change in sustainable food consumption contexts. Five key AI domains were identified: product discovery, sustainability signaling, dietary guidance, household food management and social engagement. While personalization and health nudging dominate current applications, the potential of AI to drive long-term sustainable behavior remains underexploited. Existing research is fragmented and often lacks an integrative theoretical foundation. This paper introduces the AI-Enabled Behavioral Activation Model for Sustainable Consumption, a novel theoretical framework grounded in transformative consumer research (TCR), transformative value theory (TVT), technology affordances and the COM-B model of behavior change. The model conceptualizes how AI solutions catalyze sustainable behavior by enabling consumer capabilities, shaping motivational processes, and expanding action opportunities, all while generating experiential and ethical forms of value. This integrative, process-based approach advances theoretical understanding of AI’s transformative potential in food-related consumer behavior.

Understanding how young people learn to manage their finances responsibly can guide interventions to improve their financial health and stability in the short and long term, yet merely increasing financial knowledge and skills is ineffective. Psychological and environmental factors appear to be important determinants of financial behavior, yet such factors have long been neglected in the literature. The present study appears to be the first to assess empirically the contribution of intuitive and rational mental capacity as well as opportunities and motivation to financial behavior formation. We surveyed 2299 young adults at 229 high schools and universities in Croatia. Through structural equation modeling, we found that intuitive and rational thinking as well as motivation and opportunity substantially influenced the formation of financial behavior, whereas financial knowledge played a negligible role. Rational thinking was a stronger determinant than intuitive thinking in the case of healthy financial behavior, while the opposite was true in the case of impulsive consumption. These insights may help develop effective interventions for promoting positive financial habits among young adults.

PurposeThis study aims to explore possible behavioural change venues, beyond the traditional approach to financial education, using the capability-opportunity-motivation behaviour theoretical framework of behavioural change.Design/methodology/approachThe study included 45, semi-structured, in-depth interviews of young adults to explore which elements of financial behaviour formation should interventions target to be effective.FindingsTo strengthen capability, the study recommends behavioural education and training for boosting financial knowledge and skills, enablement of financial independence and modelling for empowering self-control and reducing impulsiveness. To boost motivation, gamification of modelling is advised for boosting responsible financial behaviour as part of the identity and inducing consideration of future consequences. Persuasion is advised for inducing positive emotions while incentivization and coercion are advised for empowering self-conscious intentions. To rise opportunity, the study proposes incentivization and coercion imposed by parents, and governmental efforts regarding restriction, enablement and environmental restructuring.Practical implicationsThe study brings recommendations for developing efficient interventions for strengthening responsible financial behaviour that may help design type-specific education programmes to promote responsible financial behaviour.Originality/valueThe present study attempts to explore new venues in intervention design that break away from the traditional approach of financial education focused on knowledge and skills that is proven to be ineffective

PurposeThe study aims to analyse the possibilities of positioning the anti-consumption through different communication appeals. It analyses commercial and social marketing campaigns in the global context, with the aim to recommend communication guidelines to empower anti-consumption among different industries.Design/methodology/approachThe study conducted a qualitative content analysis of marketing communication focused on anti-consumption promotion.FindingsThe results bring a comprehensive overview of possible communication appeals of anti-consumption and prove feasibility of their implementation. The analysis of used appeals leads to recommendations for developing effective marketing communication for promoting anti-consumption.Practical implicationsThe recommendations can serve both for-profit and non-profit organization as a showcase to discover the idea of anti-consumption as communication appeals. By empowering anti-consumption, consumers could reach personal welfare and participate in social equilibrium. Also, the study brings recommendations for further research considering the evaluation of the implemented strategies.Originality/valueThe study covers a gap in published literature focusing on comprehensive analysis of existing anti-consumption marketing communication strategies and appeals and brings an overview of potential strategies for empowering anti-consumption among modern consumers.

PurposeChildren are beginning to socialize as consumers earlier than ever, highlighting the importance of their saving behavior as an effective form of consumer protection. The paper explored the influence of parents, peers, attitudes, knowledge, past behavior, allowance and self-efficacy on saving intention.Design/methodology/approachWith the aim to explore a range of determinants of adolescent saving and to specify the potential mechanisms through which different determinants operate, we adopted a multitheoretical approach based on theories of planned behavior, consumer and financial socialization, and self-efficacy. The paper investigates the formation of the saving intentions on a sample of 1,476 children 10-15 years old in Croatia.FindingsThe results indicate strong importance of parental influence and self-efficacy, implying that saving intention among tweens requires a supportive family structure as well as beliefs in the tweens themselves that they are able to save money and face difficulties.Originality/valueThis paper investigates the very nature of saving intention formation at a crucial developmental stage; it investigates the interplay of mechanisms through which determinants of savings operate at that developmental stage; and it explores the age-variance of the mechanism and the interplay of relevant variables, shedding light on the nature of the mechanism of development.

This paper aims to investigate the influence of two types of parental norms, descriptive and injunctive, on young adults' sustainable attitudes and sustainable household capability through the application of the Knowledge-Attitude-Behaviour (KAB) theory. Empirical research was conducted by an online questionnaire on a sample of 356 young adults in Croatia aged 18 to 28. The results confirmed that young adults had high levels of sustainable knowledge and attitudes. They exhibited a high tendency towards saving water and energy, and a low tendency towards sustainable and green household purchases and recycling and reusing as integral practices of sustainable household capability. The results proved the adequacy of the KAB theory in the context of sustainable knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour, affirming the theory's assumptions in terms of sustainable household capability among young adults. The results also confirmed that young adults' sustainable knowledge had a strong significant positive impact on sustainable attitudes, that sustainable attitudes had a significant positive impact on sustainable behaviour in the context of sustainable household capability, and that sustainable knowledge had an indirect significant positive impact on sustainable behaviour in the context of sustainable household capability. Considering parental norms, the results confirmed a significant positive impact of descriptive parental norms related to sustainable parental behaviour on the practices constituting sustainable household capability of young adults. At the same time, injunctive parental norms were shown to have a limited impact on both attitudes and behaviours in the context of capability. Given that previous research brought contradictory and inconclusive findings that lead to misinterpretation in the research field, the results bring a comprehensive and transparent understanding and an overview of sustainable behaviour among young adults in the context of their sustainable household capability.

This paper investigates the multidisciplinary theoretical context of financial capability and provides a critical examination of 14 relevant theoretical frameworks. To this end, the paper defines financial capability and develops a new theoretical framework of financial capability termed the personal financial management system. Financial capability is defined as the capacity of consumers to undertake comprehensive financial activities and thereby achieve personal financial well-being. The exploration of financial capability includes the concepts of financial literacy and psychological financial capability, where the latter represents automatic and controlled mental processes. Recent advances in behavioural science have profoundly changed the realm of personal finances, and it is, therefore, essential to acknowledge the importance of the intuitive reasoning that shapes our financial decision making. As part of the financial management system's throughput, together with individual motivation and opportunity within the personal financial management system, financial capability forms financial behaviour. The framework identifies three groups of relevant antecedents of financial capability including sociodemographic factors, cognitive and affective factors and personality and values. By constructing a comprehensive theoretical model, this paper contributes to the literature by providing greater consistency in the definitions of capability and its related terms, encouraging academic discussion and affirming the much-needed directions for future research.

Abstract This paper examines the relationship between family stressors and subsequent financial behavior of young individuals in Croatia. Previous research indicates that family stressors are associated with increased levels of financial stress, resulting in impulsive purchases, risky financial behavior, and increased debt. More specifically, family stressors during youth are shown to significantly affect an individual's financial behavior later in life. Research has shown that youth family stressors, such as poverty, parental divorce, and parental unemployment, can lead to financial stress and affect financial behavior in adulthood. This paper provides an illustrative review of the Family Stress Model (FSM) framework to understand how family stressors influence youngsters in the financial domain. Using regression modeling, we estimate that family stress significantly impacts the financial behavior of young individuals in Croatia. Specifically, the study finds that family stress is negatively associated with responsible financial behavior. These findings have important implications for policymakers and practitioners, particularly those involved in financial education and family support programs, highlighting the need to address family stress as a potential risk factor for poor financial outcomes among young individuals. It is important to recognize the relationship between youth family stressors and financial behavior and work on managing both to improve financial well-being in adulthood.

The paper aims to investigate in detail the strategies and efforts of children consumer protection national policies in order to conduct a comprehensive review of ongoing practices. Through content analysis, the paper investigates four dimensions of national policies: general elements of children consumer protection policies, marketing communication restrictions, harmful product-specific restrictions, and empowerment and education in five different countries of diverse cultural dimensions: Germany, the USA, the UK, Spain, and Croatia. The paper fills an existing research gap by emphasizing practices of children consumer protection strategies that should be encouraged and those that should be avoided, thereby formulating the recommendations needed to prevent the negative consequences of marketing communication. The findings confirm that successful strategies have strong national legislations, market self-regulation, and education on media literacy. Advertisement for all potentially harmful product categories should be strictly regulated in order for children to be fully protected. According to the results, Germany and the UK are the most efficient in children consumer protection policies, followed by Spain, Croatia, and the USA.

Personality traits are one of the influencing factors of consumer behavior. In order to clearly understand and predict consumer behavior, the purpose of the research is to establish whether there is a relationship between personality traits and responsible consumer behavior. The connection was investigated based on the influence of personality traits on the affective and cognitive aspect of impulsive financial consumption behavior, the opposite of responsible consumer behavior. A quantitative research was conducted using a questionnaire on a convenient sample of 483 students of the Faculty of Economics in Zagreb. Research has shown that there is a statistically significant difference in degree of propensity for impulsive shopping considering dimensions of personality traits. It is concluded that conscientiousness is the best and only predictor of responsible consumer behavior, and a weak but statistically significant association with the cognitive aspect of impulsive buying. Affective consumer behavior is connected to extroversion and neuroticism, whereas neuroticism is negatively linked to impulsive behaviour. Given that the above-mentioned constructs have not been empirically linked so far, this paper can be used during market segmentation and while creating activities which target consumers with different personality traits but also to encourage responsible and correct and avoid irresponsible consumer behavior among young consumers.

Obilježja ličnosti smatraju se jednim od relevantnih čimbenika koji utječu na ponašanje potrošača. Stoga, kako bi se ponašanje potrošača moglo jasnije razumjeti te predvidjeti, svrha istraživanja je ustanoviti postoji li povezanost između obilježja ličnosti i odgovornog financijskog ponašanja potrošača. Povezanost je istražena na temelju utjecaja obilježja ličnosti na afektivni i kognitivni aspekt impulzivnog potrošačkog ponašanja, na koje se u radu promatra kao suprotnost odgovornom financijskom ponašanju. Provedeno je jednokratno deskriptivno istraživanje pomoću anketnog upitnika na namjernom, prigodnom uzorku od 483 studenata Ekonomskog fakulteta u Zagrebu. Istraživanje je dokazalo da postoji statistički značajna razlika u stupnju sklonosti impulzivnoj kupovini s obzirom na dimenzije obilježja ličnosti. Uzročno posljedična veza dokazana je između dimenzije Savjesnosti i odgovornog potrošačkog ponašanja, a ustanovljena je i slaba, ali statistički značajna njena povezanost s kognitivnim aspektom impulzivne kupovine. Kod afektivne komponente ustanovljena je statistički značajna povezanost sa Dimenzijama Ekstraverzije i Neuroticizma, dok je kod dimenzije Neuroticizma ustanovljena negativna povezanost sa impulzivnom kupovinom. S obzirom da se do sada navedeni konstrukti nisu empirijski povezivali, ovim konceptom može se voditi prilikom segmentiranja tržišta te prilikom kreiranja aktivnosti usmjerenih ka potrošačima različitih obilježja ličnosti. potaknuti odgovorno te ispraviti i izbjeći neodgovorno potrošačko ponašanje kod mladih potrošača.

Purpose: The paper investigates and synthesizes an in-depth overview of national financial education policies and strategies aimed at the young, highlights the best practices, gives recommendations for the most efficient financial education efforts at the national level and the implementation of an efficient financial education policy in Croatia. Methodology: The analysis is conducted as a case study of financial education policies and strategies aimed at the young of the countries that achieved the best results on the OECD PISA test, Australia, the United States of America and the United Kingdom. Results: The examined countries have national financial education policies with similar aims, fields of financial education and strategies of evaluation but, although they are part of the curriculum, the programs are mostly not standardized and financial education efforts towards teachers and parents are not emphasized. Conclusion: To be efficient, a financial education program aimed at the young has to be relevant, customized according to participants' characteristics, has to relate knowledge to a specific action, has to be longterm, successfully evaluated, standardized on the national level, implemented at a younger age and have a specified aim. Financial education should be considered as an independent subject in formal education.