Sustainable (ESG) investments have gained significant interest, prompting renewed attention to retail investors’ decision-making processes. ESG investing is motivated by both financial concerns and psychological factors. However, despite growing interest, the motivational underpinnings of sustainable asset allocation remain underexplored. This study bridges economic psychology and sustainable finance to examine drivers of ESG investment intentions and choices in the Italian market. Drawing on the Theory of Planned Behavior, it explores how attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and trust shape ESG investing intentions and choices. Results show that each factor significantly influences investing intentions when considered independently. In particular, the affective dimension of attitudes emerges as especially relevant. These findings challenge traditional views of financial rationality in ESG contexts, suggesting that the motivations of sustainability-oriented investors may differ meaningfully from those of traditional investors. Practical implications are that ESG communication should appeal to emotional and ethical dimensions of decisions, while educational initiatives should enhance investors’ ability to critically assess ESG-related information.

The significance of studying the psychological meanings of money has been widely acknowledged in the literature. However, some gaps still need to be filled: cross-cultural studies are limited, and prior research has mainly focused on the notion of money attitudes, leaving the concept of social representation in the background. The present research employed a two-study design to explore the unique social representations of money in Italy and the U.S. Using the free association technique, the shared image of money has been reconstructed, revealing notable differences in the perspective of individuals coming from Italy and the U.S. Italians build their conception of money around the notion of work and well-being, defending an abstract and strongly symbolic vision. The social representation of U.S. individuals reflects a pragmatic approach to money, recognizing its centrality in determining one’s happiness. The research contributes to the psychological literature on money from a methodological and a theoretical perspective: the mixed use of qualitative and quantitative data allows to better understand the subjectivity around money, and the concept of social representation enriches the extant knowledge on the subjectivity of money. Last, the findings offer practical insights in terms of financial education programs and interventions.

Il presente contributo analizza l'esperienza del tutorato tra pari presso una grande Università del Nord Italia. L'obiettivo dell'articolo è quello di comprendere se l'esperienza di tutorato solleciti nei tutor lo sviluppo di competenze trasversali incrementando il livello percepito di employability spendibile sul mercato del lavoro. Le riflessioni sviluppate traggono origine da una ricerca fatta su un gruppo di laureati attivi nel mercato del lavoro. La ricerca ha adottato un approccio qualitativo, tramite la conduzione di interviste narrative semi-strutturate avente come obiettivo quello di individuare l'incremento di percezione della propria employability derivante dallo sviluppo di competenze trasversali allenate grazie all'esperienza di tutorship svolta durante il periodo universitario. Sono stati intervistati 30 tutor che hanno conseguito il titolo di laurea da almeno cinque anni e non più di dieci e che hanno avuto un inserimento ritenuto positivo e soddisfacente nel mondo del lavoro. Il materiale raccolto è stato analizzato secondo una metodologia qualitativa, riferendosi all'approccio dell'analisi di contenuto ed ha evidenziato una serie di competenze che i tutor le hanno riconosciute come sollecitate grazie alla loro esperienza di tutorship. Tali competenze, si sono dimostrate utili e hanno generato un vantaggio competitivo per i laureati sia nel percorso di inserimento nel mercato del lavoro che nel successivo consolidamento della carriera professionale. Le competenze evocate dai laureati sono state raggruppate in quattro cluster che hanno evidenziato come l'esperienza anticipata di relazioni finalizzate alla realizzazione di un obiettivo produttivo rappresenti una leva importante per l'incremento della percezione di employability.

This paper analyzes the peer tutoring experience at a large university in northern Italy. The objective is to understand whether the mentoring experience promote tutors' development of soft skills by increasing the perceived level of employability in the labor market. The insights are based on a study conducted with a group of former students who are now active in the labor market. Research adopted a qualitative approach by conducting semi-structured narrative interviews in the aim of investigating how through the tutorship experience during the university period enabled to improve the perceived employability through the training of soft skills. Thirty tutors were interviewed; inclusion criteria required that they graduated between five and ten years ago and that they had a perceived positive and satisfactory placement in the world of work. The collected material was analyzed using a qualitative methodology, based on a content analysis approach, and revealed several skills that-according to the interviewees - were solicited through their tutorship experience. These skills proved to be useful and generated a competitive advantage for graduates both while entering the labor market and in the subsequent consolidation of their professional careers. The evoked skills were grouped into four clusters that highlighted how the opportunity to early experience relationships aimed at achieving a productive goal is an important lever for increasing the perception of employability.

Energy conservation is one of the key topics of the sustainability issue. Several studies conducted in household domains have proven nudges to be effective in promoting energy-saving behavior. However, less attention has been paid to workplace environments, although industrial facilities are large consumers of energy and are responsible for a substantial amount of greenhouse gas emissions. This study aims to investigate whether an organizational nudge is able to promote energy-saving behaviors in a manufacturing workplace. The target behavior consists in the de-energization of workshop machines when their functioning is not needed. A mixed-method design is adopted. The first qualitative phase aims to understand barriers related to the target behavior. A subsequent controlled case study tests the effectiveness of the nudge intervention. Results indicate a significant reduction in energy waste, particularly in the short-term period following implementation. Moreover, the intervention highlights some specificities of applying nudges in organizational settings. In particular, intervening in a complex organizational context and targeting a behavior that is strongly related to the company's core business might require the complementary use of nudges and other more traditional interventions, as behavioral and decision-making changes may involve a systemic, procedural, cultural change.

The term "tax aversion" refers to a dislike of taxes which is stronger than the reaction to other types of payments. Although many scholars have found that the word "tax" elicits negative feelings, contrasting findings have been obtained when tax aversion has been measured as an explicit tendency. The present study suggests a complementary perspective on tax aversion, suggesting that tax aversion might operate as both a latent phenomenon and an explicit propensity. We propose that tax aversion may stem from an inner predisposition rather than an explicit and rational attitude. Such intuition drove the present research, aimed at measuring tax aversion at an implicit level and examining the relationship between implicit, explicit, and behavioral measures of tax aversion. Across three studies, we employed the Implicit Association Test (IAT) alongside traditional measures to explore implicit tax aversion and its behavioral implications. The novelty of this research lies in the use of the IAT to measure implicit tax aversion, examining its relationship with explicit measures, such as the TAX-I (Kirchler & Wahl, 2010), as well as with the behavioral outcomes of tax aversion based on the study conducted by Sussman and Olivola (2011). Consistent with our hypothesis, the findings support the idea that tax aversion can operate as a latent phenomenon. Furthermore, the implicit hostility measured through the IAT appears to be linked to the behavioral outcomes of tax aversion; contrarily, no relationship was found with explicit tax-related attitudes.

A key challenge for public institutions is to ensure adequate funding for health, especially in times of crisis, and motivating citizens' prosocial financial behavior is critical to ensuring the efficiency of healthcare. This article investigates citizens' willingness to support healthcare with data from two cross-sectional Italian studies conducted during the peak of the pandemic. This article presents the results of two cross-sectional studies, conducted during the pandemic peaks in Italy, investigating citizens' willingness to support the healthcare. Findings show different reactions towards voluntary contributions and mandatory subsidies. Furthermore, trust in money management and altruistic drivers predicted citizens' willingness, which declined over time. Results offer guidance as to when and how be more effective in designing communications aimed at raising funds for healthcare.

A partire da una ricerca condotta nel 2023 in Italia sugli psicologi professionisti, sono focalizzati e discussi alcuni risultati che illustrano il percorso di professionalizzazione della psicologia della salute. L'analisi dei dati indica che: 1. la salute rappresenta un ancoraggio per gran parte dei professionisti psicologi (80%) ma solo come riferimento tematico e non pragmatico, ovvero come organizzatore della rappresentazione della professione ma non delle pratiche professionali; 2. un design professionale della psicologia della salute deve tener conto di una articola-zione plurale dei contesti operativi entro cui la disciplina si colloca; 3. un percorso di professionalizzazione della disciplina è chiamato a confrontarsi anche con la variazione dei contesti professionali entro cui la psicologia della salute si col-loca: anzitutto con i cambiamenti in atto relativi al contesto pubblico di welfare (? implosione) e con quelli presenti nel contesto libero-professionale (? crescita). Le implicazioni sul futuro scenario sono delineate in relazione al progetto di profes-sionalizzazione della disciplina ma anche al suo sviluppo sul piano paradigmatico e dell'offerta formativa.

Gli interventi di discussione dell'articolo-bersaglio: "La psicologia della salute come professione …" stimolano gli Autori a disegnare un percorso di costruzione scientifico-professionale della psicologia della salute (PdS) come processo aperto, articolato in divenire, fondato sull'intreccio fra cinque dimensioni-base: a) costruzione fenomenica (sviluppo stori-co-socio-culturale di rappresentazioni, modelli, pratiche di salute); b) costruzione scientifica (sviluppo di teorie e metodi ancorati a un paradigma); c) costruzione professionale (sviluppo di posizionamenti, profili, contesti professionali); d) costruzione formativa (sviluppo di percorsi, obiettivi e delle competenze attese); e) costruzione istituzionale ("territorializzazione" della PdS sul piano scientifico-professionale in relazione al welfare e alla servitizzazione dell'offerta di salute). Il processo è disegnato in modo sistemico e circolare.

Finding ways to evaluate managerial competencies is essential for understanding how individuals can contribute to the advancement of organizations. The study aims to develop an up -to -date competencybased framework, validate a new assessment scale, and outline methodological guidelines for the development of future scales. The validation process consisted of four main phases, involving an extensive literature review, analysis of internal data of a company, development of a competency-based model, and its validation through qualitative and quantitative approaches. The comprehensive managerial competency-based framework leverages a continuous dialogue between theoretical knowledge and practical perspective. The new scale measures four competencies and eighteen skills/abilities/dispositions. Moreover, the innovative measurement format contrasts social desirability effects, obtaining information on workers' current level and potential growth. The instrument can be applied in different contexts and provides data for several human resource (HR) processes. Guidelines are outlined to researchers and practitioners interested in developing competency-based frameworks and tools.

Nudges represent a cost-effective and noncompulsory way to promote behavioral change, yet most studies have focused on household domains. As nudges could also benefit work settings, this study aims to explore nudge interventions implemented in workplace environments to determine the behavioral domains targeted and the type of nudge used. A systematic review of literature was conducted. Results show a prevalence of focus on health: Most interventions improve workers' food choices or increase their physical activity; a few address pro-environmental behavior, and fewer target workers' performance. Regarding the type of nudge implemented, most studies design interventions that modify the way information is presented. Further research is needed to address the gaps in literature about nudges in organizations, whose complexity is thoroughly discussed.

The study of gender differences in the financial domain is gaining increasing attention as evidenced by the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Previous research has highlighted the existence of a gender divide in many economic issues; however, there is still a lack of comprehensive understanding of the psychological aspects of money management. This systematic scoping review aims to fill this gap by outlining gender differences in money attitudes and money management practices, adopting the Scientific Procedures and Rationales for Systematic Literature Reviews protocol as methodological guideline. An extensive analytical strategy was employed on Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and EconLit to identify 100 empirical papers on the topic, published between 1972 and 2021. The analysis revealed clear differences in how men and women approach to money from a symbolic and attitudinal perspective, whereas evidence of money management practices is more complex and sometimes conflicting. Men and women hold different conceptions of money, with men often looking at it as a symbol of success and power and women holding more ambivalent attitudes toward money as both a source of anxiety and a means to ensure security and prove their love. As far as for financial behaviors studies indicate that both genders have similar approaches to savings and expenses monitoring, while financial investments are primarily pursued by men. Future directions and suggestions for private and public institutions are discussed, highlighting research advancements and implications for gender empowerment programs and customized communications.

In the last decades, several disciplines have started to investigate the heterogeneous meanings attributed to money, contributing to defying the classic vision of money as a purely neutral object through an interdisciplinary perspective. Notably, the construct of money attitude, defined as a mirror of perceptions, beliefs, and feelings about money, has captured attention. Considering the richness and fragmentation of previous literature around the construct, a systematic scoping review was conducted to (1) inquire into how money attitude was measured from a methodological perspective and (2) map its connections with key correlates, such as demographics, macro-economic factors, personality, financial practices, and job-related variables. Through a systematic search in four databases, 226 articles were selected, including studies from both economic and social sciences. From a methodological perspective, several validated scales exist, which only partially overlap, outlining the heterogeneity of the construct of money attitude. Furthermore, the relationship between money attitudes and key correlates emerges as complex and occasionally blurred. Based on these results, an integrative framework is proposed and directions for future research are outlined, discussing methodological specificities of validated scales and alternative methodologies. Additionally, overlooked topics deserving further examination are highlighted, including the investigation of emotional underpinnings of money, antecedents of money attitudes and their relationship with unsound behaviors. Implications for practitioners are also discussed, from the need to recognize the role of money attitude in the client–financial advisor relationship to the importance of consumers’ segmentation.

BACKGROUND:Discussion on the impact of pocket money on positive behaviors is still debated.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of diverse money allowance schemes on risky behaviors (smoking, alcohol, binge drinking, drug use, gambling) during adolescence.METHOD:989 students aged 15 from Lombardy (Italy) reported information on money availability in the 2018 wave of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study. To analyze the relationship between money availability and risky behaviors we computed odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals through unconditional multiple logistic regression models.RESULTS:Spending more than 10€ weekly was associated with higher likelihood to smoke, binge drink or gamble. Receiving pocket money (rather than receiving money upon request) was related to higher likelihood to engage in risky behaviors.CONCLUSIONS:Pocket money may have a negative impact on adolescents, particularly with a substantial amount of money. More research is needed to understand why providing money only if needed may serve as a protective factor against risky behaviors.

Traceability of food is considered as an important tool for ensuring food quality and safety, in turn increasing consumers' trust. Verification of food authenticity is currently carried out by officials and producers, typically through the use of paper documents that may not ensure a proper level of integrity. Therefore, independent analytical methods and forgery-proof labels are required by the agri-food sector, driving the development of "omics" traceability technologies for the authentication of foods. Despite the growing interest in these technologies from a technical-scientific point of view, no research has been carried out on consumers' perceptions. Given these premises, this study aimed at understanding consumers' orientations towards "omics" technologies applied to organic vegetables and unravelling the main psychological and socio-demographic variables that influence their adoption. Data were collected with a self-report questionnaire filled out by a sample of 807 Italians, representative of the population. We used descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression to analyze data. Results show that, despite the lack of subjective knowledge of "omics" technologies, Italians have positive attitudes and are interested in using and buying organic vegetables certified by this approach, even paying more. Furthermore, young people with positive attitudes and higher environmental concerns have a more positive attitude towards "omics" technologies. This research points out the need to educate consumers about what the "omics" technology is, enhancing consumers' attitudes and underlining its environmental contribution. This will increase consumers' acceptance and support the implementation of the technology.

Consumers' demand for organic food has increased in the last years, together with a growing request for food authentication and safety. Omics technologies represent a viable analytical strategy to respond to such needs, strengthen food safety information transmission between consumers and industry, and differentiate between organic and conventional products. However, little is known about consumers' perception of such a novel cer-tification approach. The present research ought to provide insights into the perspectives of consumers, exploring the antecedents of their intention to purchase organic vegetables certified through omics technologies and differentiating between regular and occasional consumers of organic foods. Data were collected from a repre-sentative sample of 807 Italian respondents who completed a self-report questionnaire, and Structural Equation Modeling was performed to analyze the data. Results show that several factors influence consumers' approach to omics technology, among which trust in actors in the food industry, attitudes towards the technology and environmental food concerns. In addition, the study drew attention to the differential path impacting consumers with distinct eating habits. Indeed, the degree of importance attributed to food in one's life and the interest towards innovative food are significant predictors of the intention to adopt omics technology only for people consuming organic products with higher frequency. Also, trust in industry actors follows a different path for regular and occasional organic food consumers. The present study sheds light on consumers' perspective on omics technologies, a relatively unexplored topic. Moreover, it allowed to differentiate consumers based on their organic consumption habits, which has been rarely done in previous research. The evidence collected suggests the need for tailored communication programs to stimulate the adoption of omics technologies and foster con-sumers' confidence in novel food technologies.

In the field of fiscal psychology, a growing number of studies supported the importance of promoting a good relationship between taxpayers, tax practitioners, and tax authorities in order to foster tax compliance. While several studies have focused on taxpayers, only a few studies have kept into account the role of tax practitioners and tax authorities. Even fewer studies have examined the opportunities for interaction between different players. The present study aims to investigate the relational dynamics between tax practitioners and tax authorities during a cross-examination, which is one of the most important touchpoints in the Revenue Agency control area. A focused ethnographic approach was adopted to investigate the dyadic interaction during cross-examinations. Following, in-depth interviews were conducted. Findings suggest the existence of four different strategies (Authority, Flexibility, Listening, and Defence) which need to be wisely adopted by tax authorities to promote a cooperative interaction and avoid a conflictual one. It is also suggested that the opportunity for tax practitioners to physically meet tax authorities may increase overall satisfaction an trust towards the tax system.

Purpose The paper aims to examine whether financial advisors can understand the symbols and meaning that investors associate with money and whether such ability plays any role in enhancing the advisor-investor relationship in terms of satisfaction, level of trust, referral propensity and loyalty. Design/methodology/approach The authors used a dyadic research design. A total of 186 dyads of financial advisors and their clients took part in the study and completed two parallel self-administered questionnaires. Findings The authors found that financial advisors often can detect the emotional associations that their clients attribute to money. Such ability can enhance their relationship with investors. Research limitations/implications The main limitation of this study is its exploratory nature and the convenience sampling technique that was adopted. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to test the main findings further. Practical implications The results have implications for the development of ad-hoc psychological training to enhance the relationship between financial advisors and investors. Understanding the symbolic meanings and the emotions that clients associate with money may be a prerequisite for a financial services company to succeed and be competitive in the sector. Originality/value Despite acknowledging that money is not a neutral object but is layered with symbolic meanings and emotional associations, the behavioral finance literature has so far neglected to study these implications from either a theoretical or a practical point of view. This paper aims to fill this gap by investigating the symbolic value of money in the financial services industry.