Statistical Analysis of Misfiling Causes in Higher Education: A Test Construction

Abstract

Introduction: Misfiling remains a substantial challenge in data management in various institutions of higher learning. It has been asserted that one in every ten documents or files stored becomes immediately lost forever, due to inadequate filing techniques and practices. The results of this canker primarily are a high-profile failure in accountability and a retrogression in the development of the institution. There is paucity in scales developed for measuring misfiling. This study developed a scale called the data misfiling assessment scale (DMAS) to measure the various factors responsible for misfiling in institutions of higher learning and assessed them in terms of other relevant variables.
 Methodology: A questionnaire was designed and administered in a cross-sectional study conducted among all administrative assistants who were tasked with the utmost responsibility for filing in the offices of the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS), Ho in the Volta Region of Ghana. The various components of the causes of the misfiling scale were found using factor analysis and were confirmed with confirmatory factor analysis.
 Results: The study revealed a highly reliable scale (Cronbach’s alpha of 0.85) of thirteen misfiling items sub-classified into four factors of misfiling namely; internal factors of misfiling, misfiling due to methods and tools, external factors of misfiling, and other factors of misfiling, with Cronbach’s alpha of 0.85, 0.77, 0.62, and 0.60, respectively. The four-factor structure of the DMAS was confirmed with CFA. A strong positive relationship was observed between internal and external factors of misfiling (p-value = 0.015) and between internal and other factors of misfiling (p-value = 0.032). External factors of misfiling also strongly correlated positively with other factors of misfiling (p-value = 0.025). Per the scale, participants who have file references in their offices were less likely to face other factors of misfiling (p-value = 0.008). Also, those working in offices with filing policies were less likely to experience internal and external factors of misfiling.
 Conclusion: With the help of this scale, factors responsible for misfiling and by extension, challenges with data management can be investigated and appropriate actions are taken for accurate data management in institutions of higher learning.