Abstract
The rapid growth of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investing has coincided with the increasing reliance of young investors on social media for financial decision-making. While digital platforms and financial influencers ("finfluencers") accelerate information dissemination, limited empirical work explains how digital cues interact with psychological biases in emerging markets. Drawing upon the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Social Influence Theory, this conceptual study proposes a framework to investigate the effect of social media exposure on ESG investment intentions among young retail investors in Malaysia, while examining herding behavior as a moderating mechanism. The proposed framework outlines a quantitative cross-sectional research design utilizing Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to test the structural relationships. The paper provides theoretical insights into the convergence of digital media dynamics, psychological biases, and sustainable finance in emerging markets, offering practical implications for policymakers, financial institutions, and regulators.
Keywords
- Social Media Influence Search this journal for Social Media Influence (opens in a new tab)
- ESG Investing Search this journal for ESG Investing (opens in a new tab)
- Investment Intention Search this journal for Investment Intention (opens in a new tab)
- Herding Behavior Search this journal for Herding Behavior (opens in a new tab)
- Theory of Planned Behavior Search this journal for Theory of Planned Behavior (opens in a new tab)
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Copyright (c) 2026 Dr Siti Norbaya Mohd Rashid (Corresponding Author); Dr Norliza Che Yahya, Rizky Yudaruddin, Ahmad Danial Zainudin, Mohd Fariz Helmi Husain (Author)

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Keywords
- Social Media Influence Search this journal for Social Media Influence (opens in a new tab)
- ESG Investing Search this journal for ESG Investing (opens in a new tab)
- Investment Intention Search this journal for Investment Intention (opens in a new tab)
- Herding Behavior Search this journal for Herding Behavior (opens in a new tab)
- Theory of Planned Behavior Search this journal for Theory of Planned Behavior (opens in a new tab)
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Vol. 18 No. 4(I) (2026)
Inclusive Workplaces, Digital Learning & Enterprise Resilience
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