Rajesh Gurung

The study examined the Nepalese youth’s self-directed learning and job-seeking characteristics. It collected primary data from fresh graduates of Nepal’s leading universities to understand self-directed learning motivations and job search behavior. It focused on graduates enrolled in different job preparatory programs to improve their chances of securing employment in 2022. Using a five-point Likert scale, the survey covered general information, self-learning, and job-searching. The purposive sample field survey in Kathmandu Valley from July to December 2022 targeted 500 respondents and yielded 327 completed surveys for analysis. Data analysis shows a substantial correlation between self-directed learning and job-seeking among Nepalese young people (β = 0.877, CR = 18.203, p < 0.01). A substantial positive correlation was identified between self-monitoring, adaptability, and job-seeking activity (β = 0.927, p = 0.000). Likewise, this study found a substantial positive correlation between motivation and job-seeking activity (β = 0.887, p < 0.00), and goal setting and planning have a significant favorable effect on job-seeking behavior (β = 0.445, p < 0.00). Such findings contribute valuable insights into the interplay of self-learning elements and their implications for the job-seeking behavior of young individuals in the Nepalese context. The importance of promoting self-directed learning and emphasizing fundamental attributes has grown significantly as young individuals navigate the dynamic job marketplace and seek assistance in integrating into employment.

Acknowledgment
The authors would like to express profound gratitude and appreciation to the University Grant Commission (UGC) Nepal for supporting this research (FRG-78/79-Mgmt 02).

The Nepalese stock market has experienced substantial transformations in recent years. Research on investors’ herding behavior is of paramount importance since it explores the influence of collective choices made by investors, which could result in intensified market price fluctuations. This study examined the influence of behavioral biases on investment decisions among Nepalese investors – general individuals who actively participate in the country’s stock market, considering overconfidence, representative, anchoring, regret aversion, and herding biases as explanatory variables, with investment decisions as the response variable. The study employed a linear regression model, establishing relationships using a structured questionnaire with 379 observations. The study revealed the significant influence of overconfidence, anchoring, and regret aversion biases on investment decisions among Nepalese investors. Conversely, the influence of representative bias had a little impact on investment choices, and herding behavior showed no significant relationship with investment decisions. Hence, it suggests that behavioral biases have a greater impact on individual investment choices in the Nepalese financial market. It is essential for investors, advisers, and policymakers to be aware of and address these biases to make well-informed decisions, maintain financial stability, and foster market development.