Use of electronic and digital information by investment professionals in Kuwait

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate what types of information are crucial to support investment decisions, how investment professionals find information that they use to advise their clients, what types of sources of information are available to them, what sources they prefer, and what difficulties they experience in finding investment information. The study also explores the preferred ways and means to improve the information finding skills of investment professionals. Design/methodology/approach Survey method was used to collect data about information‐seeking behavior of investment professionals. An online questionnaire was used as a data collection instrument. The questionnaire contained eight questions about types of information required for investment analysis, information‐finding practices of professionals, tools and services frequently used, and perceptions of investment professionals about the importance of sources of information. Participants were also asked about the use of social media and social software, and frequently‐used information sources on investment opportunities. Findings Investment professionals in Kuwait are relying heavily on electronic and digital sources to find investment information. Participants indicated that a wide variety of financial and non‐financial information was needed to support their work. They reported frequent use of e‐mail and smartphones to access internal and external information. While they benefitted from social media and social software, they considered company intranets and portals, external web sites, and business information services more important to fulfill their information needs. They appeared to be confident about their information‐finding skills but considered training helpful in database and internet searching techniques. Originality/value This study has made valuable information available on information‐seeking practices of investment professionals, as very few previous studies could be found in the literature. The first phase was an exploratory study. The second phase of the study will use multiple methods such as interview and focus group discussions to probe further in certain areas.

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