A Dissertation Submitted in Partial/Fulfilment of the
Requirements for Award of the Degree of Master of Business Administration
(MBA) of Mzumbe University
This study assessed factors affecting EPICOR application among Tanzanian public
institutions drawing experience from selected Government Ministry, Department and
Agency. The current study was guided by the three specific objectives pertaining to
extent which EPICOR application is perceived useful in financial accounting, extent
which EPICOR application is perceived ease of use in financial accounting and
challenges facing EPICOR application in financial accounting among selected MDA
in Dar es Salaam. A multiple cases research design was used by involving Ministry
of finance, Department of National Audit Office and Kinondoni Local Government
Authority as the Agency. A study population comprised 100 employees and 80 of
them become the respondents who were selected using the purposeful and
convenience sampling methods. Each respondent was given a closed ended
questionnaire which was data collect tool for this study. A total of 50 questionnaires
were completed making valid repose rate of 62.5%. The obtained data were analyzed
using descriptive statistics with the aid of SPSS program version 20 and the results
were presented by frequency tables, numbers, percentages and measures of central
tendencies (mean and standard deviations).
The current study revealed existence of high level of EPICOR application in
recording and reporting financial transactions at mean values 3.9600 and 3.8400
respectively. EPICOR application was perceived useful and ease of use in financial
accounting to the high extent. For instance, mean values on the belief that EPICOR
increased financial accountability and transparency were 3.8800 and 3.8200
respectively while perceptions that EPICOR enabled easily access to financial data
and that it will be easily to become skillful in EPICOR applications were 4.0800 and
3.8400 respectively. The only challenge identified on EPICOR application in
financial accounting was technical difficulties which had mean value 3.6400. The
study concludes that there was a high level of EPICOR which mirrored the efforts
undertaken by the MDA to address challenges inherent in the system as well as
increasing perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use among users. The study
therefore recommends more efforts in addressing technical difficulties facing users
of EPICOR and ensure that EPICOR aids in time and cost saving.