Workplace Financial Education: The Effects on Employees' Financial Behavior

Author

Marcy Alves, University of Rhode Island

Date of Award

2003

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Human Development and Family Studies

Department

Human Development and Family Studies

First Advisor

Joan Gray Anderson

Abstract

This thesis examines the effects of workplace financial education on employees' subsequent financial behavior. Subjects in this research were employees of the State of Rhode Island. Faculty and staff from the University of Rhode Island's Center for Personal Financial Education delivered one or both of the following financial education programs to participants: Early Planning for Retirement and Practical Financial Planning. Each program consisted of two, one-hour seminars that were delivered approximately two months apart. Participants were given identical pre-, post, and longterm follow-up surveys containing behavioral questions from both seminars; they were members of the experimental group for questions related to the first seminar and members of the control group for questions related to the second seminar. Although the small sample size precluded the detection of many statistically significant results, the trends in the data are positive. A large percentage of participants in both the experimental and control groups reported that they planned to make behavioral changes within the two months following the first seminar. Responses on the long-term follow-up that was administered two months later show that the number of participants who reported actual changes in their financial behavior was high for both treatment groups.

Recommended Citation

Alves, Marcy, "Workplace Financial Education: The Effects on Employees' Financial Behavior" (2003). Open Access Master's Theses. Paper 1129.
https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/theses/1129