COMPETENCE APPROACH TO ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL TRAINING OF AUDITORS OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND TECHNOLOGIES

An analysis of the specifics of the formation of a set of of competencies formation for the system of academic and professional training of specialists in audit and monitoring of information systems and technologies is carried out. It is determined that the training system should be formed in accordance with the global system of service industry standardization and international requirements and standards. The essence of the competencies formation on the basis of American and European standards in the field of information systems and technologies is revealed. The hierarchical sequence of the implementation of the world system of standardization for audit and quality control of information systems and technologies functioning in order to determine requirements to competences of the auditor of information technologies is defined. Practical tasks of the process of obtaining objective, qualitative and quantitative assessments of the current state of information infrastructure in accordance with the defined criteria, requirements and quality indicators are highlighted. The main features of competencies, skills, knowledge of specialists in audit and monitoring of information systems and technologies formation are identified. Formation of basic academic and professional competencies of specialists in the audit of information systems and technologies on the basis of the domain educational model Competency Model Clearinghouse is presented. It has been created the competence model for formation of the set of knowledge, skills and abilities during organization and support of information systems and technologies audit, control and monitoring. Tasks and concept of specialists’ integral competence are defined. The list of academic and professional competences is formed, basic abilities and skills of specialists in information systems and technologies audit are defined as well. Classes and levels of competencies are determined, as well as correspondent to them positions in the field of audit of information systems and information technologies of the industry sector. Special attention is paid to the international generally oriented approaches to standardization of educational services and competencies levels in accordance with professional requirements to specialists in the field of information technology audit system. Basic levels of professional certification of information systems auditors, which should provide a high quality level of a wide range of services in the field of information technologies and information security, have been determined.

Do Individual Factors Affect the Relationship between Faculty Intrapreneurship and the Entrepreneurial Orientation of Their Organizations?

Several colleges and universities in the Middle East have been undertaking significant initiatives to forge and foster corporate entrepreneurship. The viability and success of those initiatives rest upon the input of faculty, possessing to various degrees an entrepreneurial orientation that revolves around innovativeness, risk-taking, and proactivity. This study investigates the extent to which individual-level factors moderate the influence of faculty entrepreneurial behavior on the entrepreneurial orientation of higher education institutions in Kuwait. These factors include gender, academic qualifications, teaching experience, school affiliation, scientific productivity, industrial experience, and professional certification. Data were collected using questionnaires filled by 291 faculty members, and the model was analyzed using structural equation modelling. The differences for each faculty characteristic in the structural path coefficients were tested using the Z-score statistics. The eight hypotheses that were partially validated as the most notable findings indicate that entrepreneurial orientation among male or business faculty has a greater impact on their institutions’ organizational, entrepreneurial orientation. In contrast, the differences for the rest of the moderating characteristics were insignificant. The originality of this study pertains to the fact that the scope of faculty intrapreneurship does not seem to be strongly affected by any individual-level characteristic.

Quantity Surveying Profession and Its Prospects in Nigeria

The study assessed the prospects of the Quantity Surveying profession in Nigeria. The study identified and evaluated the level of performance of the identified functions performed by the quantity surveyors in the Nigerian Construction industry. The study reveals that there is a high level of performance of the basic functions of the quantity surveyors which include feasibility and viability studies, contract documentation, life cycle costing, preliminary cost advice, etc. The study also examined the factors militating against the effective performance of the quantity surveyor’s functions in the Nigerian Construction industry. The study identified and presented some possible factors militating against the performance of Quantity Surveying functions and some anticipated measures to enhance the quantity Surveying profession for evaluation by the respondents using structured questionnaires. The data collected were analyzed with SPSS version 23 using frequencies and mean item scores. The study revealed some major factors militating against the effective performance of the quantity surveying profession in the Nigerian Construction industry like widespread corruption in Nigeria with a mean score of 4.53, obsolete curriculum and inadequacy in modern equipment with a mean score of 4.41, professional rivalry from kindred profession with a mean score of 4.35, level of adoption of UT with mean a score of 4.32, and inadequacies in academic and professional training with a mean score of 4.18 among others. The study equally revealed some important measures requiring implementation to enhance the quantity of Surveying profession in Nigeria like a clear delineation in professional functions in the construction industry to curb professional rivalry with a mean score of 4.35, reviewing the curriculum of Tertiary Institutions with a mean score of 4.24, improving professional skills through continuing professional development with a mean score of 4.15, improving technological applications in the execution of Quantity Surveying functions with a mean score of 3.91 and professional certification in specialized areas with a mean score of 3.85.

Quantity Surveying Profession and Its Prospects in Nigeria

The study assessed the prospects of the Quantity Surveying profession in Nigeria. The study identified and evaluated the level of performance of the identified functions performed by the quantity surveyors in the Nigerian Construction industry. The study reveals that there is a high level of performance of the basic functions of the quantity surveyors which include feasibility and viability studies, contract documentation, life cycle costing, preliminary cost advice, etc. The study also examined the factors militating against the effective performance of the quantity surveyor’s functions in the Nigerian Construction industry. The study identified and presented some possible factors militating against the performance of Quantity Surveying functions and some anticipated measures to enhance the quantity Surveying profession for evaluation by the respondents using structured questionnaires. The data collected were analyzed with SPSS version 23 using frequencies and mean item scores. The study revealed some major factors militating against the effective performance of the quantity surveying profession in the Nigerian Construction industry like widespread corruption in Nigeria with a mean score of 4.53, obsolete curriculum and inadequacy in modern equipment with a mean score of 4.41, professional rivalry from kindred profession with a mean score of 4.35, level of adoption of UT with mean a score of 4.32, and inadequacies in academic and professional training with a mean score of 4.18 among others. The study equally revealed some important measures requiring implementation to enhance the quantity of Surveying profession in Nigeria like a clear delineation in professional functions in the construction industry to curb professional rivalry with a mean score of 4.35, reviewing the curriculum of Tertiary Institutions with a mean score of 4.24, improving professional skills through continuing professional development with a mean score of 4.15, improving technological applications in the execution of Quantity Surveying functions with a mean score of 3.91 and professional certification in specialized areas with a mean score of 3.85.

The Ethical Issues of Television Journalists’ Endorsement Activities on Instagram

Nowadays, endorsement or paid promotion activities on Instagram are not only done by celebrities but also by people from other profession with many followers such as television journalist. The journalists who play an important role as the fourth pillar of a democratic nation are immersed in digital euphoria by participating in endorsement activities. This certainly leaves ethical problems, based on the Indonesian Journalist Code of Ethics, journalists must be independent and prohibited to misuse their profession to benefit certain parties. Therefore, this research was conducted to study this phenomenon, especially in understanding the attitudes and perceptions of journalists towards their endorsement or paid promotion activities. This research was conducted using a descriptive-qualitative approach with semi-structured in-depth interview. Five informants, journalists form several television stations in Indonesia (SCTV, TV One and Kompas TV), were interviewed. The results showed that the journalist’s motives in doing the endorsement are to help small businesses and to get financial benefits. Four informants believed that the endorsement activities did not violate the Journalist Code of Ethics as long as they only talk about the facts and do not spread mislead information, while, the other one argued it certainly did. Their perceptions were influenced by their membership of professional association and ownership of professional certification. The informant who agreed that the endorsement activities are not in accordance with the code of ethics, has a membership of Indonesian Television Journalists Association (Ikatan Jurnalis Televisi Indonesia) and also has a professional certification as primary journalist, while the other informants do not have.

Interpreting testing and assessment: A state-of-the-art review

Over the past decade, testing and assessing spoken-language interpreting has garnered an increasing amount of attention from stakeholders in interpreter education, professional certification, and interpreting research. This is because in these fields assessment results provide a critical evidential basis for high-stakes decisions, such as the selection of prospective students, the certification of interpreters, and the confirmation/refutation of research hypotheses. However, few reviews exist providing a comprehensive mapping of relevant practice and research. The present article therefore aims to offer a state-of-the-art review, summarizing the existing literature and discovering potential lacunae. In particular, the article first provides an overview of interpreting ability/competence and relevant research, followed by main testing and assessment practice (e.g., assessment tasks, assessment criteria, scoring methods, specificities of scoring operationalization), with a focus on operational diversity and psychometric properties. Second, the review describes a limited yet steadily growing body of empirical research that examines rater-mediated interpreting assessment, and casts light on automatic assessment as an emerging research topic. Third, the review discusses epistemological, psychometric, and practical challenges facing interpreting testers. Finally, it identifies future directions that could address the challenges arising from fast-changing pedagogical, educational, and professional landscapes.