Investigating the Relationship between Machiavellianism and Financial Behavior and Objective and Subjective Financial Knowledge of Iranian Association of Certified Public Accountants

Recognizing the personality characteristics of accountants becomes even more important when these characteristics influence their behaviors in performing professional duties. Machiavellianism is one of these negative personality characteristics that are associated with suspicion, desire for control, desire for position and disregard for moral principles, and so on. On the other hand, financial behavior and financial knowledge are important components of personal financial wellness that have undeniable effects on people's lives. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between Machiavellianism and financial behavior and financial knowledge in the Iranian Association of Certified Public Accountants. This study is applied in terms of purpose and it has used the method of descriptive-analytical research. In this study, a questionnaire was used to collect data. The research hypotheses were tested by Pearson correlation coefficient, t and Levin tests, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling using SPSS 22 and SMARTPLS 2 software. The results of the study showed that there is a significant and inverse relationship between Machiavellianism with financial behavior and financial knowledge by considering demographic variables. While no significant relationship was found between objective financial knowledge and financial behavior, there is a significant and direct relationship between subjective financial knowledge and financial behavior and between objective financial knowledge and subjective financial knowledge.