Financial risk-taking behaviour: A comparative study of Iceland and Poland

Abstract. This article adds to the limited empirical research integrating socioeconomic and individual perspectives in studying financial risk-taking behaviour. It thereby considers the impact of national and individual characteristics on individuals’ propensity for financial risk-taking. The primary objective was to demonstrate that risk propensity is not a singular construct, highlighting the necessity to account for different individual and socio-economic factors. Further, it emphasizes that financial risk-taking should be distinguished into different subdimensions, such as gambling and investing, concepts reasonably defined consistently in academic literature. For this research, we surveyed Polish and Icelandic business students using the Domain-Specific Risk-Taking (DOSPERT) scale. Results show that gambling decisions are predominantly influenced by individual characteristics such as gender. Investment decisions are affected by individual and external factors like nationality, economic context, and employment status. Nationality significantly impacts investment behaviour, but not gambling, whereas Polish students appear more risk-averse to investing. Further research is needed to explore the nuanced interactions between nations, the socio-financial environment, and individual financial decision-making.