Are employer-initiated financial education programs effective for women? Insights for organizational training programs through stakeholder perceptions

Purpose This study aims to explore and unfold the problems in designing and delivering employer-initiated financial education programs (FEPs) from the perspective of working women who attend such programs. Design/methodology/approach The researchers conducted in-depth interviews and utilized an interpretive qualitative approach to explore the expectations and experiences of women employees regarding such programs. Findings The results of this study demonstrate that employer-led FEPs may not benefit women employees due to specific misaligned actions of both employers and employees at every stage, which make the programs ineffective. Research limitations/implications While this study encompasses women from varied age groups and marital statuses, the researchers acknowledge that the sample size is limited and represents a specific socioeconomic group. Practical implications The findings of this study have policy and practical implications for addressing perceived issues in FEPs initiated by employers for women employees. Originality/value The novel contributions of this study include suggesting a process model for building FEPs, highlighting the existing problems at each step in designing and delivering an FEP and expanding the application of Self-Determination Theory in FEPs.