Assessing The Importance Of Mobile Advisory Services In Accounting Firms: Research Plan

Objective

Question:

Discuss About The Respondents Among The Available Population?

A research plan is written below, which includes the research`s objective, the sample size for the research and the ways which are going to be approached for the research to collect the data.

The main objective of the research is- “to assess the importance of the mobile advisory services”.

As through the research, it will be easy to identify whether the staff is encountering any issue while practicing such service.  Secondary objectives of the research are-

• Assessing the problems which are used to be come across in operating as mobile advisors by the staff.
• To get suggestions from the staff, in context to make improvement in the mobile advisory services.
• To evaluate the advantage of the advisory services for the staff.

The objective of research deals with the assessment of the importance of the mobile advisory services along with the required change in this service. The information which will be required to come across these objectives will be gathered from the company`s staff. Through qualitative research, an inquiry from the respondent samples can be done and the collected information from such respondents can be analyzed to reach a conclusion. Expressive information can be captured through the qualitative research which cannot be collected through quantitative data. For this reason, a qualitative approach is appropriate to address the objectives of the research.

The population for the research, from which the sample or the respondents will be selected is the Accounting Firm. As the staff of the accounting firm is using the mobile advisory services at present.

The sample size for the research will be 100 staff member if the accounting firm. As this sample size will be appropriate for collecting the data.

The samples of the respondents will be collected through random sampling technique. This sampling technique will allow choosing the respondents among the available population for an extensive range of purposes. In addition to this, the selection of each member of the staff has equal chance to be selected as respondent. One of the other reasons for approaching this sampling technique is that it removes biases in the selection procedure.

In order to collect the data for the research, primary data collection method will be used. As the research requires fresh data to be analyzed, so as to accomplish the objectives. The objectives of the research are more descriptive as to accomplish the objective; it is required to collect the data through the staff in the description rather than in form of figures or numbers. Hence the data for the research will be collected in the descriptive form.

To collect the data survey technique will be used. In the survey, a different question which will be related to the objectives of the research will be asked to the respondents.

Sample Size

Here some questions are given below, which will be asked in the survey to the respondents. These questions are framed in such a manner, as the answers to the questions could be related to meet the research objectives.

Question a. Do you think, mobile advisory services are easy to be practiced? If no, then what challenges are used to be faced by you?

Link to the research objective- The selected staff members as the sample will answer this question. Through their answer, it can be assessed that they are facing any challenge while exercising mobile advisory services to deal with the clients or not. The challenges which are used to be faced by the staff while using mobile advisory services may possibly be assessed and the objective could be met.

Question b. Do you think mobile advisory services are important to be practiced?

Link with research objective- With the answer to the above question, staff`s view about using mobile advisory services could be assessed. As what are the views of staff about the importance of the mobile advisory services.

Question c. Do you want any improvement in the mobile advisory services? If yes, then give your suggestions.

Link with the objective of research- Through the above question, requirement of making changes in the mobile advisory services could be identified. In addition to this, suggestions regarding the requisite changes can also be taken from the staff members. Hence, one of the objectives of the research i.e. related to assessing the required changes in the services could be met.

The data will be collected in qualitative form, hence the analysis of the data will be done by following steps of qualitative data analysis technique which are given below-

• All the data will be written down or recorded in a proper Consideration will be done for not making any mistake in the recording of the data so that any biases shall not occur through the data mistakenly recorded.
• After recording the data, it will be organized in an appropriate manner. Through organizing the data in the correct form, it becomes easy to understand the data and to derivate sensible information( Sundari & Habbe, 2016).
• Giving codes to the main set of field records drawn from the survey
• Writing down comments or personal reflections in the margin
• Categorize and sort through data, in order to identify similar themes, phrases, patterns, separate variances between subgroups and relationship between variables.
• Classifying these differences, commonalities, processes as well as patterns and take them out from field in the ensuing tendency of data collection
• Being going into detail, a precise overview which covers the o consistencies distinguished in the database.
• This overview will be studied through an official body of familiarity with the subject, in the form of theories or constructs.

The findings of this research will have limited scope in context to apply the research outcomes to other non-accounting organizations which are considering to offer mobile advisory services. As the non-accounting organizations may face more challenge in dealing with the clients or customers through mobiles (Rokhman, 2017). One of the other limitations for the non-accounting organization to provide mobile advisory service is that they may fail to make the information of their clients secure. For any organization, information is regarded as a vital aspect. It is crucial to protect the sensitive information of the organization as well as its clients so that any harm or risk may not arise due to disclosure of such sensitive information. The staff of the organization may use the sensitive information for their own purpose. Hence, the scope of the findings of this research is limited to the non-accounting organizations.

Data Collection Methods

Mixed method research is a process of performing the research is on the analyzing research, quantitative and qualitative research and collecting research. In this mixed method, research is done to know the better about the research problem obtained when the research is conduct.

The exploratory design process is the process in which it includes the group of and examines of quantitative data is used in the form of examining the qualitative data (Rokhman, 2017). In this opportunity of responsibility is given to the quantitative data to finds out it also includes the understanding the phase of the study. Sequential exploratory design is appropriate-

• To assess components of an emergent theory ensuing as of the qualitative research.
• To develop on qualitative outcomes and to explore a phenomenon.
• To simplify qualitative outcomes to dissimilar samples with the purpose of determining the dissemination of an occurrence within a selected population.
• To improve and experiment a new instrument

The exploratory design process is the process in which it involved the qualitative data is examined by the quantitative data to examine the study of this phase (Ndiwalana, 2009). In this it is the responsibility is given to the qualitative data to finds out it also includes the understanding the phase of the study. Sequential explanatory design is appropriate-

• To help in explaining contextualizing or interpreting quantitative findings.
• To look at, in additional aspect unpredicted results from the quantitative study.

Some of the research articles which have deliberated the link between the motivation of employee to achieve budget as well as the participation of the employee in setting the budget. These studies are carried out in nations which have high individuality and low power distance.

• The Effects of National Culture on Changes in Management Accounting Systems(Chanegrih, 2015).
• A Study of Motivation: How to Get Your Employees Moving(Burton, 2012).
• Improving Managerial Performance through Participation Role of Budget Preparation: a Theoretical and Empirical Overview(Rokhman, 2017).
• Budgeting Participation, Goal Commitment and Employee Performance(Ndiwalana, 2009).

The Effects of National Culture on Changes in Management Accounting Systems- This article was written through (Chanegrih, 2015), in which study was done over French manufacturing companies. The collected data were compared in the study by data collected in Singapore and Malaysia. In Singapore, there is high power distance and low individualism, which states that low individualism, does not motivate employees to participate in budgetary preparation.

Kelli Burton did a study in the year 2012, i.e. A Study of Motivation: How to Get Your Employees Moving- In this study, the effect of motivation on employees in relation to budgeting participation was being done. According to the study, employees when motivated in a positive manner then, their performance also enhances (Burton, 2012). In addition to this when they participate in budgeting operation then also they get motivated to perform better to achieve the objectives.

Rokhman did a study on Improving Managerial Performance through Participation Role of Budget Preparation. This study states that managerial performance could be improved by participating role in the budget. As the employees feel that they are valued when they are asked to participate in budget preparations (Rokhman, 2017).

Ndiwalana did a study in the year 2009, in regards to- Budgeting Participation, Goal Commitment, and Employee Performance. This study states that there is a link between employee participation in setting a budget and motivating employees to achieve budget (Ndiwalana, 2009). As the study suggests that the employee`s performance could be enhanced through motivation and making them participate in budgetary preparation could motivate them.

Survey Questions

Besides the above findings, it can be perceived that the link between the participation of the employee in budget setting and motivation of employee in achieving budget has low extent. As there could be some factors which may influence the participation of the employees in setting the budget. As while setting the budget employees may feel that the budget is so high and cannot be easily achieved. This low esteem of employees may motivate them in a negative manner and their performance could be affected by it. As a result, this may also affect the factor of achieving the budget.

Hofstede`s theory in regards to cultural dimensions institutes a basis that turns around cross-cultural communication. According to Hofstede, the dimensions of culture mutually represent the culture`s impact inbuilt in society on the values of that particular society`s members. In context to the business aspects, cultural dimensions form a significant facet (Catanach, 2009).  It upgrades the manager`s knowledge in running the business magnificently through the international business market; as business`s different features are viewed as different cultures. The cultural dimensions of power distance and individuality are discussed below-

• Power distance- It stances dissimilarity which is defined from below and not forms It can be regarded as a range to which societies and organizations agree to power differentials. The societies or organizations with power distance are characterized through such aspects- a lot of supervisory staff, autocracy in leadership, as well as a number of hierarchy level, centralized authority, and acceptance of privileges which comes with power, paternalistic management and expectation of inequality and power differences(Anastasia, 2015). On the other hand, the organizations which possess small power distance have following characteristics- consciousness of rights, Supervisory staff small in proportion, organization`s flat structure, decentralized authority, consultative or participative management style, lack of acceptance and questioning the authority.
• Individuality- This dimension defines the range to which individual is motivated toward remaining in the group. The individualistic cultures are categorized through- the idea which individuals hold unique beliefs, stress on horizontal relationships instead of vertical relationships, acceptance of confrontation as an attribute, emphasis on pleasure, fun and enjoyment over social norms and duties, value independence and self-sufficiency besides placement of self-interest above collective interest(Anastasia, 2015).

Researcher Lau and Eggleton argued that the dimensions of the culture i.e. individualism and power distance can influence the participation in budgeting. As for an instance, in Australia the high individualism rejects budgetary participations; on the other hand, its low power distance emboldens budgetary participation at a high level (Zhang & Yang, 2009). However, the reverse of this aspect occurs in Singapore for the reason that its great power distance rejects budgetary participation but its low individualism encourages budgetary participation at great extent.

Some factors other than cultural factors also influence participation in budgeting which is discussed below-

• Lack of trust and coordination- the lack of trust and coordination among the subordinates and the other employees also affect the attribute of employees in budgetary participation(Amiruddin, 27). As in the case, the high budget has to be prepared and there is lack of mutual trust among the subordinates then it may influence the budgetary participation.
• Preparation of high budget- One of the other factors which may negatively influence in regards to participation in budgeting is related to preparation of the high As when the upper-level management is preparing a budget for the high-level amount then they may not include the participation of lower level employees in budget preparations(Catanach, 2009).

Budget is an estimation which is used to be prepared by the company for maintaining its revenues and expenditure for particular time period. The progress of the every sector of the company can be estimated by the budget function (Zhang & Yang, 2009). The budget can be divided into two parts firstly the bottom-up, in this bottom-up budget can be prepared with the help of stakeholders and the secondly is top down In which budget is used to be prepared by the party involved in preparing the budget. In an organization preparing the budget is compulsory in order to know the reality of the organization in the business market.

References

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