Karin Barac, Kato Plant, Rolien Kunz and Marina Kirstein
This study investigates perceptions regarding generic skills future entry-level accountants and auditors will require. Such soft or pervasive skills are necessary to operate…
Abstract
Purpose
This study investigates perceptions regarding generic skills future entry-level accountants and auditors will require. Such soft or pervasive skills are necessary to operate effectively in the future world of work. Prior research mainly explores generic skills from an attribute-based perspective, while this paper combines it with an activity-based perspective in generic skill profiles of accountants and auditors.
Design/methodology/approach
Following a mixed methods research approach through focus group discussions and a survey involving more than 3,000 professional accountants and/or auditors, the study uses data from the Southern African region (South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia) to determine views on the competency needs of future accountants and auditors. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted to determine whether categories of generic skills for future entry-level accountants and auditors differ.
Findings
Four generic skills factors emerged as essential for future entry-level chartered accountants (CAs): digital, decision-making, organisational and business acumens. Three generic skill factors emerged for future registered auditors (RAs): digital, practice and commercial acumens. The results show that generic skill profiles of CAs and RAs, who are members of an accounting body differ and that both the context, related to an activity-based perspective, and individual or internal abilities, related to an attribute-based perspective, matter.
Research limitations/implications
The study extends generic skill theory by identifying broad categories of generic skills (referred to as acumens) for future accountants and auditors.
Practical implications
Insights from this paper facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the generic skill profile approach, combining attribute-based and activity-based perspectives, and this could assist accounting educators, practitioners and professional bodies to better prepare entry-level accounting and audit professionals for the workplace.
Originality/value
The study identifies broad categories (digital, decision-making, organisational, business, practice and commercial acumens) within generic skill profiles of CAs and RAs and shows that generic skills do not operate independently and should be viewed as an interdependent set or constellation of competencies.
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Kato Plant, Karin Barac and Herman De Jager
The purpose of this paper is to identify the determinants of internal audit workplace learning success for developing early career internal audit professionals in South Africa.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify the determinants of internal audit workplace learning success for developing early career internal audit professionals in South Africa.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative research design was used to collect data through focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews from 65 internal audit stakeholders including internal audit employers’ early career; internal auditors’ workplace learning assessors; and presenters and members of the education and training committee of the professional body in South Africa on their experiences of the determinants of workplace learning success for internal auditors.
Findings
In line with workplace learning theories, it was found that there are five determinants of internal audit workplace success: the learning environment, management support, the early career internal auditors’ commitment (attitude and motivation to learn) and a relevant, structured and effective formal workplace learning programme.
Practical implications
Internal audit employers, early career internal auditors, workplace learning assessors and presenters as well as the Institute of Internal Auditors globally and in South Africa can use the results of this study as a benchmark for their internal audit workplace learning practices.
Originality/value
This paper provides insight into the determinants of workplace learning success for internal auditors and contributes to the limited body of knowledge in auditing on developing professional competence in the workplace.
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Alberto Bayo‐Moriones and Emilio Huerta‐Arribas
Analyses the factors that influence the adoption by Spanish manufacturing firms of incentive schemes that link blue‐collar workers’ pay to the results achieved by the organisation…
Abstract
Analyses the factors that influence the adoption by Spanish manufacturing firms of incentive schemes that link blue‐collar workers’ pay to the results achieved by the organisation for which they work. In pursuing this aim information from 719 manufacturing plants, each with at least 50 employees, is used. Findings reveal the positive influence of factors such as the small size of the plant, the prospects of growth in the workforce or membership of a multinational company. It has also been found that workplace or firm incentives are more usual in factories with automated technologies, with widely defined jobs, and in plants that encourage workers’ involvement and that do not consider personality traits in new employee selection processes.
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Z.Q. Zhu and Jiabing Hu
Wind energy has matured to a level of development at which it is ready to become a generally accepted power generation technology. The aim of this paper is to provide a brief…
Abstract
Purpose
Wind energy has matured to a level of development at which it is ready to become a generally accepted power generation technology. The aim of this paper is to provide a brief review of the state of the art in the area of electrical machines and power‐electronic systems for high‐power wind energy generation applications. As the first part of this paper, latest market penetration, current technology and advanced electrical machines are addressed.
Design/methodology/approach
After a short description of the latest market penetration of wind turbines with various topologies globally by the end of 2010 is provided, current wind power technology, including a variety of fixed‐ and variable‐speed (in particular with doubly‐fed induction generator (DFIG) and permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG) supplied with partial‐ and full‐power converters, respectively) wind power generation systems, and modern grid codes, is presented. Finally, four advanced electrical‐machine systems, viz., brushless DFIG, open winding PMSG, dual/multi 3‐phase stator‐winding PMSG and magnetic‐gear outer‐rotor PMSG, are identified with their respective merits and challenges for future high‐power wind energy applications.
Findings
For the time being, the gear‐drive DFIG‐based wind turbine is significantly dominating the markets despite its defect caused by mechanical gears, slip rings and brush sets. Meanwhile, direct‐drive synchronous generator, especially utilizing permanent magnets on its rotor, supplied with a full‐capacity power converter has become a more effective solution, particularly in high‐power offshore wind farm applications.
Originality/value
This first part of the paper reviews the latest market penetration of wind turbines with a variety of mature topologies, by summarizing their advantages and disadvantages. Four advanced electrical‐machine systems are selected and identified by distinguishing their respective merits and challenges for future high‐power wind energy applications.
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This chapter is aimed at filling two important gaps in the large literature on high-involvement work system (HIWS). First, the existing literature tends to focus on North America…
Abstract
This chapter is aimed at filling two important gaps in the large literature on high-involvement work system (HIWS). First, the existing literature tends to focus on North America and Western Europe, and detailed information on HIWS outside of the two regions (especially Asia) is still limited. Second, while there is a large body of quantitative evidence, the literature is relatively scant on detailed account of exactly how specific HIWS practices are implemented in the real workplace. This chapter draws on our extensive field research at firms in Japan, the United States, and Korea, and presents real-world examples of HIWS of firms in Japan, Korea, and the United States. Our detailed account of the implementation of HIWS in the three countries points to an intriguing process of transnational diffusion of HIWS. Japanese firms as early experimenters of HIWS posed a challenge to U.S. firms in the global marketplace, resulting in the trans-pacific diffusion of HIWS which is modified to the U.S. corporate culture. Due to its geographical proximity and historical connections to Japan, Korean firms were initially heavily influenced by Japanese HIWS. However, with the rising link to the United States and Europe, Japanese influence appears to have been waning, and interest in U.S. style HIWS and European-style state-mandated works council has risen, suggesting that a hybrid model may be emerging in Korea.
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Philna Coetzee, Houdini Fourie and Pricilla A Burnaby
The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether the internal audit quality was maintained in relation to the rapid growth in Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) membership in…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether the internal audit quality was maintained in relation to the rapid growth in Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) membership in South Africa. As The IIA in South Africa (SA) has seen more than double the membership growth (59 per cent) than the IIA (25 per cent) over the period 2006 to 2010, the change in internal audit quality indicators for these two are compared.
Design/methodology/approach
The responses from SA respondents and all “Other” respondents are analysed from the 2006 and 2010 Common Body of Knowledge studies on specific questions addressing internal audit quality, to determine whether there is a growth in quality-related indicators and whether the growth is in relation to the membership growth. The chi-square test is used to look for change in response frequencies.
Findings
The paper finds that the SA respondents have a greater increase of internal audit quality indicators than “Other” respondents, suggesting that the increase in membership could also result in improved internal audit quality.
Originality/value
This study links the increase in membership with improved internal audit quality. This could assist the IIA in determining the feasibility of developing key indicators of internal audit quality. The IIA-SA will obtain an understanding whether the exceptional growth in membership is in line with the internal audit excellence as prescribed by SA guidance and legislation. Last, individual internal audit activities could benchmark their growth statistics against the SA and “Other” respondents’ growth pattern – both in numbers and quality indicators.
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Norhafiza Baharudin and Ruzita Jusoh
Drawing from dynamic capability theory, this paper aims to examine the implementation of target cost management (TCM) in a non-Japanese environment.
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing from dynamic capability theory, this paper aims to examine the implementation of target cost management (TCM) in a non-Japanese environment.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on a case study at Company ABC, an automotive manufacturer in Malaysia, this paper investigates the differences in the TCM implementation process between Company ABC and companies operating in the Japanese business environment. The data were collected through in-depth interviews, direct observation and document reviews.
Findings
Using a single-case study approach, the findings show that although the case company follows similar fundamental steps of TCM as highlighted in the literature, it has modified the detail of the TCM steps to some extent to match with the company’s resources, business processes and strategic routines.
Research limitations/implications
As the study used a single-case study approach on an automotive company, the results cannot be generalized in other settings. The findings give an insight into the TCM implementation in a developing country such as Malaysia. Better understanding of TCM as a business competitive tool may help to promote TCM application in other developing countries. The findings help new potential TCM companies in the same industry to mitigate and leverage the risk of failure in implementing TCM by modifying the TCM implementation process to suit their contextual environments.
Originality/value
This paper attempts to explain in depth the TCM implementation process in the case company and highlights how the dynamic capabilities can cause differences in TCM practices compared to those practiced in the Japanese context.
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Arghya Ghosh, Takao Kato and Hodaka Morita
The purpose of this chapter is to provide fresh evidence and insights on a causal link from product market competition to the nature and scope of employee involvement using a case…
Abstract
The purpose of this chapter is to provide fresh evidence and insights on a causal link from product market competition to the nature and scope of employee involvement using a case study of two Japanese manufacturing firms.
The firm’s investment decision on two kinds of innovation activities, discrete innovation and continuous improvement, is likely to be a key driver for the adoption (or lack thereof) of the high-performance work system (HPWS) and employee involvement programs. As product market competitionintensifies (e.g., rising international competition and weakening exclusivesupplier–manufacturer relationships), the firm is likely to shift its innovation strategy from bottom-up continuous improvement activities, which almost always accompany employee involvement, to top-down discrete innovation activities, which downplays employee involvement. Such a shift of the firm’s innovation strategy results in declining employee involvement.
This study will inform policymakers, practitioners of management, and the public about the importance of paying particular attention to the firm’s innovation strategy in understanding the interplay between product market competition and the HPWS and employee involvement.
In spite of the rich body of evidence on the effects of HPWS, there are at least two relatively unexplored yet potentially important questions: (i) The conditions under which the HPWS is best introduced and best sustained; and (ii) in what way the HPWS will need to evolve when external environments change. Our findings fill this important gap in the literature by providing novel evidence and insight on the causal link from product market competition to employee involvement.
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Patricia Everaert, Stijn Loosveld, Tom Van Acker, Marijke Schollier and Gerrit Sarens
Despite appearing in the literature over 10 years ago as a potentially exciting cost management technique, there is still limited agreement about the nature of target costing. The…
Abstract
Purpose
Despite appearing in the literature over 10 years ago as a potentially exciting cost management technique, there is still limited agreement about the nature of target costing. The purpose of this study is to explore the characteristics of target costing, and to test whether these characteristics were adopted in three European companies that used target costing.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper draws on case study data, collected at three manufacturing companies (consumer electronics, machinery, and transportation equipment).
Findings
The paper identifies eight characteristics of target costing, based on the early Japanese case descriptions. These characteristics are related to the way a target is set and how progress towards that target is measured. The findings of the case studies confirm these characteristics. However, some differences were found regarding the interpretation of the strict rule that “the target cost cannot be exceeded at product launch”.
Research limitations/implications
The results indicate that future research on the adoption of target costing cannot be disconnected from its characteristics. Further studies might investigate whether degree of openness to suppliers, leadership position, time pressure and position in the supply chain can explain the noted differences in characteristics among companies.
Practical implications
The characteristics identified in this paper provide an aid to researchers and managers considering target costing. Detailed case descriptions provide best practices examples for other companies.
Originality/value
This study is the first empirical paper concerned with describing the typical characteristics of target costing. By exploring the characteristics, we hope to inspire others to further explore this interesting phenomenon.
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Alper Tunga Akın, Saliha Ünver and Kamber Can Alkiş
It requires a significant amount of time, money and effort to visit institutions containing different collections in different parts of the world, for many reasons such as…
Abstract
Purpose
It requires a significant amount of time, money and effort to visit institutions containing different collections in different parts of the world, for many reasons such as transportation, visa and research permit. This study aims to develop a virtual herbarium with both mobile and browser support, which will enable access to the panoramic view of the herbarium and the visual and botanical characteristics of the herb samples in the herbarium.
Design/methodology/approach
Karadeniz Technical University Faculty of Forestry (KATO) Herbarium, established in 1973 and registered in the International Herbarium Index, was chosen as the study area. The virtual herbarium (VR) KATO application was carried out in three stages: production of panorama images of the herbarium, creation-connection of the database and programming of the application. Within the scope of the study, a database containing the botanical features and herb sample images in the herbarium was also created using the MongoDB Atlas connection, and a dynamically-updatable herb library was presented to the online visitors. For a test development, 20 of 23,240 of the herb species were included in the database and will be extended to include all species. A user experience survey has also been conducted to analyze accessibility and usability of the VR herbarium.
Findings
According to the user experience survey, participants from various professions such as students, teachers, academics and forest engineers mostly found the application easily accessible, simple, understandable and efficient. As a future plan, the application will be improved based on user feedback. This study is a pioneer with the concept of virtual reality and a distinctive example of mixed reality technologies’ usage in the forestry discipline. Besides that, the study is a unique example for different fields related to forestry, which contains different libraries such as flora, fauna, endemic species and national parks, and for other sectors.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the digital access capabilities in academic libraries or physical stores.