Search results

This paper takes the view that the design of information systems which both do the job they were designed for and are culturally acceptable is rare, and that the problem does not lie squarely at the door of unreliable technology or bad systems design. The number of methodologies available which are intended to enable us to design and build information systems has grown rapidly over the last decade or so; one of the outcomes of this is a number of highly structured and mechanistic formulae which assume that people know from the outset what information they want, where they want it to go and how they want it to be delivered. This paper argues that this general assumption is false and has resulted in inadequate and inflexible information systems which quickly assume dinosaur status, or which are rejected by users. A common prerequisite of such methodologies is that a problem has been defined (which the eventual system will solve), and that the organisational and cultural context within which the problem exists is agreed and understood. This is of course sometimes the case but it should not be assumed to be generally true. The view is taken here that more effective information systems are designed when some time is spent at the beginning of the analysis exploring the environment in which the system will operate, and account is taken of the possibly different views of this which may be held by people who work within the situation. Additionally, distinctions need to be made between what information is needed and how it will be delivered. This could be viewed as an important distinction between information and communication systems which has to be understood before organisations can make expensive procurement decisions about communications technology and hardware. The outcome of this process would be an analysis of information requirements using models which were closer to agreed views of the situation. It could also of course usefully generate debate about desired changes to current systems and therefore would be more likely to result in the design of information systems which matched organisational strategy and development. Checkland's Soft Systems Methodology is examined as a useful methodology to use in this context. Its fundamental features are described and examples of models are shown to demonstrate how the methodology can facilitate analysis of communication requirements.

The purpose of this paper is to delve into the intricate link between job satisfaction and employees’ turnover intentions. To accomplish this, a detailed structural model was constructed, incorporating five essential constructs: job satisfaction, turnover intention, satisfaction with financial factors, satisfaction with non-financial factors and external factors.

The research used a questionnaire with 28 items based on established tools, focusing on five different constructs. The model’s validation involved applying structural equation modelling to 147 non-managerial employees in microfinance institutions.

The findings reveal a significant negative correlation between job satisfaction and turnover intention. Satisfaction with financial factors significantly outweighs satisfaction with non-financial factors in shaping job satisfaction. In addition, the impact of external factors on turnover intention was observed to be minimal and inconsequential.

This review highlights the importance of investigating the moderating factors in the job satisfaction–turnover relationship, distinguishing between types of satisfaction and conducting longitudinal studies across diverse contexts. It notably presents a diverse range of recent findings in this field, emphasising the breadth of the results that have emerged in this area of research.

Understanding job satisfaction and turnover intention is crucial for microfinance institutions. By prioritising efforts to enhance job satisfaction through improved financial offerings and non-financial factors like a supportive work environment and opportunities for growth, organisations can effectively mitigate turnover rates and foster success.

The study underscores the societal value of supportive work environments beyond just benefits and career opportunities. By understanding the external influences on employee satisfaction, organisations can contribute to building more decent workplaces and promote social well-being, while advocating for social considerations in organisational practices.

This paper uses a novel integrated model comprising five distinct constructs not previously used together. It stands among the pioneering works that not only elucidate the correlation between job satisfaction and turnover intention but also delineate the constituents of job satisfaction itself.

The duties of the Public Analyst necessarily bring him more or less into contact with the members of his local authority. His work, like that of the other chief officers, is dealt with by one or more Committees before the results as a whole are submitted to the Council. The actual part played by the Committee or Committees depends on the will of the Council, and is in no way laid down by law. One thing is quite clear, namely, that the jurisdiction of the Committee and of the Council only extends the proceedings prior, and subsequent to the analysis of the samples. The nature of the analyses, the scientific methods employed, and the opinions based on the analytical results are entirely in the hands of the Public Analyst himself. The authority may not agree with him, and may not follow his advice, but unless there is very strong reason for doubting his competence, it is their duty to avail themselves of his expert knowledge and experience, and he is obliged to place his services at their disposal in these directions however inadequately he may be paid.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of the Official Scrutineer in the annual film awards ceremony of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), a role currently occupied by the audit firm Deloitte. The case of BAFTA provides an illustrative example of the increasing demand for discretionary assurance services from audit firms (Free et al., 2009), which in turn is reflective of Power's (1997) “audit society”. It showcases the power of audit as a legitimating tool. The paper seeks to understand the role of the auditor as assurance provider by drawing upon Goffman's (1959) dramaturgical framework. Viewing the auditor as “performer” and a range of interested stakeholders (BAFTA voting members, sponsors, award winners and industry commentators) as the “audience”, this theoretical lens facilitates insights into the nature of assurance provision.

The paper gathers interview data from within the case organization (BAFTA), it's Official Scrutineers (Deloitte), BAFTA voting members, sponsors, award winners and film industry commentators.

Drawing on Goffman's (1959) work on impression management to inform its theoretical argumentation, the analysis of results from 36 interviews indicates that Deloitte are highly effective in delivering a successful performance to their audience; they convey a very convincing impression of trust and assurance. The paper therefore suggests the importance of performance ritual in the auditor's role as assurance provider. Additionally, it argues that such a performance may be particularly effective, in the eyes of the audience, when played by a well known audit firm.

The paper highlights the expanding territorial scope of assurance provision by audit firms. By focusing on a glamorous media event, it also furthers an understanding of the role of accounting within the domain of popular culture.

The study analyses psychometric features of the Grasha–Riechmann student learning style scale. It measures the instructional preferences of students attending different educational stages.

The scale was translated from English to Spanish. Content and face validity evidences were analysed. After that, construct validity evidences – exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, factorial invariance analysis – and internal consistency were examined. Data were collected from samples composed of high school and college students from Argentina.

The adapted version, a four-factor 12-item scale, suitable to be used in local students, measures four learning styles – competitive, independent, dependent and collaborative. The model showed a better fit when compared to rival models – three-factor and six-factor. Besides, the four-factor model verified its factorial invariance in high school and college students' groups composing the sample. The internal consistency indices were adequate for every dimension (ordinal α > 0.70).

Despite satisfactory results of the internal validity evidences and the internal consistency analysis, further studies should analyse external validity evidences – criterion and predictive evidences.

The adapted version of the scale is suitable to be used by teachers in order to examine learning preferences in their students. Such information will allow the adaptation of teaching methods regarding the actual students' needs.

The Grasha–Riechmann student learning style scale’s Argentinian adaptation is presented. It is a valid and reliable measure of learning styles suitable to be used in high school and college.