NAVIGATING FINANCIAL DECISIONS: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THEORIES, BEHAVIOURS, AND INNOVATIONS

This literature review synthesizes seminal and contemporary research on financial decision-making, emphasizing theoretical frameworks and empirical findings. Fama's (1970) Efficient Market Hypothesis sets the foundation for understanding market behavior, while Kahneman and Tversky's (1979) Prospect Theory introduces psychological influences, highlighting biases such as loss aversion (Tversky & Kahneman, 1991). Jensen and Meckling (1976) provide insights into agency theory, exploring the implications of managerial behavior on firm performance. The influence of gender on investment strategies is examined by Barber and Odean (2001), illustrating the role of overconfidence. Additionally, the impact of social interactions on financial choices is explored by Bursztyn et al. (2014). Financial literacy, addressed by Lusardi and Mitchell (2014), underscores the importance of informed decision-making in personal finance. The review also highlights the integration of behavioral insights in corporate finance, particularly in capital structure decisions (Myers, 1984) and risk management practices (Hull, 2012). Overall, the collected works illustrate a rich tapestry of factors influencing financial decisions, blending economic theory with behavioral insights, and emphasizing the necessity for ongoing research in this dynamic field. KEYWORDS: Financial Decision-Making, Behavioral Finance, Prospect Theory, Market Efficiency, Agency Theory, Overconfidence, Financial Literacy, Risk Management, Capital Structure and Social Interactions.