Purchase decision-making power of australian women in the financial product market: myths and realities of mind (rationality) vs heart (emotions)

In the contemporary consumerist culture, consumer power is a key determinant of consumer wellbeing. Ultimate power of consumer decision making is often characterised by expressions such as ‘customer is always right’ and ‘customer is king’ in the consumer behaviour literature. However, the rising trend of scams and financial misconduct in Australia's financial markets has challenged the notion of consumer power and wellbeing. Toward this end, this thesis investigates the impact of rationality, self-efficacy, impulsivity, and emotions on the decision-making powers of Australian women when making financial product purchase decisions. The findings present several salient implications for theory and practice.