Strategies employed by first-year trainee accountants in the Mafikeng area to overcome information technology challenges

Abstract

Globalisation and changes in the business environment, coupled with rapid advancement in information technology (IT) in the 20th century, have brought about various changes in the way accountants carry out their tasks. The purpose of this study was to explore the IT challenges first-year trainee accountants in the Mafikeng area in South Africa encounter and to report on their perceptions regarding the strategies they employ to overcome these challenges in the workplace. The study adopted a qualitative research process and a phenomenological approach. Data were collected from two accounting firm managers and 13 first-year trainee accountants through face-to-face interviews. The data were analysed using an ATLAS.ti software program package and thematic data analysis. The findings indicate that first-year trainee accountants face various IT challenges, such as sophisticated software, technological stress and employers’ expectations. The study further revealed that strategies such as practical solutions, being innovative and creative with IT software, consulting IT helpdesks and internet searches were adopted by the participants to overcome IT challenges in the workplace. The results of this study provide useful insights to accounting firms’ managers, accounting professional bodies and other stakeholders into various IT challenges first-year trainee accountants are facing and the strategies they employ to overcome these challenges.

Globalisering, omwentelings in die sakewêreld, en vooruitgang in inligtingstegnologie (IT) in die 20e eeu het die werkswyse van rekenmeesters in verskeie opsigte verander. In hierdie studie word ondersoek ingestel na die IT-probleme wat eerstejaars wat vir rekenmeester leer, in die omgewing van Mafikeng in Suid-Afrika ondervind. Verslag word ook gedoen van die strategieë wat hulle volg om aan hierdie probleme in die werkplek die hoof te bied. Die navorsing is kwalitatief en fenomenologies benader. Onderhoude is in lewende lywe gevoer met twee bestuurders van rekenmeesterfirmas en 13 eerstejaars wat vir rekenmeester leer, om die data in te samel. Die data is met behulp van ’n ATLAS.tisagtewareprogram en tematies ontleed. Volgens die bevindings ondervind eerste jaars wat vir rekenmeester leer, verskeie IT-probleme, waaronder gevorderde sagteware, tegnologiestres en werkgewers se verwagtings. Daar is bevind dat die eerstejaars hulle IT-probleme in die werkplek te bowe kom deur praktiese oplossings daarvoor te vind, innoverend en kreatief met IT-sagteware om te gaan, IT-hulptoonbanke te nader, en internetsoektogte te doen. Die bevindings gee die bestuurders van rekenmeestersfirmas, beroepsliggame en ander belanghebbendes insig in die ITprobleme waarmee eerstejaars te kampe het en die strategieë wat hulle volg om dit op te los.

Tshusumetsano ya batho lefatshe ka bophara le diphetogo mo tikologong ya kgwebo, gammogo le tswelelopele e e akofileng mo thekenolojing ya tshedimosetso (IT) mo ngwagakgolong wa bo20, di tlile ka diphetogo tse di farologaneng mo mokgweng o babalatlotlo ba dirang ditiro tsa bona ka ona. Maikemisetso a thutopatlisiso e ne e le go tlhotlhomisa dikgwetlho tsa IT tse bakatisiwa ba babalatlotlo ba ngwaga wa ntlha kwa tikologong ya Mafikeng mo Aforikaborwa ba kopanang nao le go bega ka megopolo ya bona malebana le ditogamaano tse ba di dirisang go samagana le dikgwetlho tseno mo lefolotirong. Thutopatlisiso e dirisitse tirego ya patlisiso e e lebelelang mabaka le molebo wa go lebelela maitemogelo/fenomenoloji. Go kokoantswe data go tswa kwa batsamaising ba babedi ba difeme tsa palotlotlo le bakatisiwa ba babalatlotlo ba ngwaga wa ntlha ba le 13 ka dikopanopotsolotso tsa namana. Data e lokolotswe ka tiriso ya serweboleta sa ATLAS.ti le tokololo ya data ka meono. Diphitlhelelo di bontsha gore bakatisiwa ba babalatlotlo ba ngwaga wa ntlha ba lebagana le dikgwetlho di le mmalwa tsa IT, di tshwana le dirweboleta tse di marara, kgatelelo ya maikutlo e e bakwang ke thekenoloji le ditsholofelo tsa mothapi. Thutopatlisiso e senotse gape gore bannileseabe ba dirisitse ditogamaano di tshwana le ditharabololo tse di dirang, go dirisa dirweboleta tsa IT ka boitlhamedi le boitshimololedi, go golagana le didesekethuso tsa IT le ditshenko tsa inthanete go kgona dikgwetlho tsa IT mo lefelotirong. Dipoelo tsa thutopatlisiso eno di tlamela ka tshedimosetso e e mosola go batsamaisi ba difeme tsa palotlotlo, mekgatlho ya porofešenale ya babalatlotlo gammogo le baamegi ba bangwe, malebana le dikgwetlho tse di farologaneng tsa IT tse bakatisiwa ba babalatlotlo ba ngwaga wa ntlha ba kopanang natso gammogo le ditogamaano tse ba di dirisang go kgona dikgwetlho tseno.