Literature Review

Discuss about the Research Methods Qualitative and Quantitative.

The contemporary business environment has reformed through drastic modifications in dynamics as well as context and hence accountants have to acquire improved skill sets in order to perform better for their clients. The continuous exploration of opportunities in the field of business intelligence has led many corporations to implement changes in market and business practices, capital adjustment and technological improvements. Therefore, accountants have to serve greater roles than mere recordkeeping in the environment of change (Awayiga, Onumah&Tsamenyi, 2010). This has led to drastic changes in the field of accounting education and establishment of plausible policies for ethical behavior and accounting education committees for monitoring the activities of accountants and the requirement of employers. There has been a series of debates over the efficiency of university curriculums which emphasize on specialized technical expertise and the capability of the courses to imbibe transferable technical skills in the students alongside enabling them to acquire ethical, professional and sustainability skills for long-term performance. Therefore the ambiguity related to the convergence of demands of employers and the skills of accounting graduatesserves as a profound highlight of the research issue. Thereafter, researchers have emphasized on the methodology through which universities are capable of providing aptly skilled graduates to the profession of accounting. The references to the integration of skills required by employers in teaching curriculum of accounting undergraduates have also been mentioned in literature (Jackling &Keneley, 2009). The following section reviews extensive sources of literature pertaining to the generic and technical skills, how employees perceive the capability of accounting graduates, roles of normative and behavioral beliefs in shaping the skill set of accounting graduates and the influence of ethical behavior in shaping the characteristics of future leaders in the domain of accounting.

Evaluation of literature related the research issue concerning skills of accounting graduates and the demands of employers in the accounting profession has to be initiated with consideration of factors which determine the attitude of the employer towards the potential candidates in accounting profession. Employability has emerged as a profound entity in the labor market as potential candidates for employment are judged on the basis of the relevancy of their skills with the requirements of the profession. The development of various nomenclatures of skills in context of employability resulted in the origin of distinct set of skills such as essential skills, core skills, functional skills, common skills, and generic skills, skills for life, enterprise skills and key skills. Employers prefer graduates on the basis of their ability to adapt to the requirements of the workplace, workplace culture and involvement in activities of proactive teamwork. As per Jackling & De Lange, critical reflection on the abilities of potential candidates and the consideration of future applications of their expertise in the activities of the organization has become essential priorities of employers in the contemporary dynamic environment (Jackling & De Lange, 2009).Further discussions on the scope of employability have reflected on essential employability skills such as communication and literacy, self-management capabilities, positive attitude, ability to work with a team, IT and numeracy skills, awareness of business and consumers and aptitude for problem solving. The focus on employability has been reinforced in recent times especially in context of politics owing to it influence on economic progress and has been observed in instatement of major policies by governments for improving the proficiency of higher education institutes to meet the requirements of the present labor market in the accounting profession. Therefore the next reference in context of employability is placed on higher education institutes and their capabilities to address the demands of employers in the accounting profession.

Evaluation of Literature Related to the Research Issue

According to Jackling &Keneley, the outcomes of the measures followed by employers and HEIs are reflective of coordinated and strategy-dependent approach followed in the various facets of the curriculum of accounting studies (Jackling &Keneley, 2009). The curriculum has enabled the accounting graduates to escalate the comprehension of graduates beyond the generic concept of acquiring novel information. Profound debates have also been noticed and they refer to the influence of employability skills and their integration in university curriculums on the academic freedom of teachers. The content of the course structures have to be modified on the basis of the requirement of certain industries and therefore academic objectives and standards could be hampered. However such concerns can be addressed by the coordinated efforts of academics to concentrate on the promotion of employability attributes and capabilities rather than depreciation in standards of academic content. As per Jackling &Keneley, Subject knowledge has to be provided in unison with focus on reflective thinking, critical review capacity, and self-efficiency and generic skills. The skills of an accounting graduate are also dependent on certain independent and dependent factors pertaining to the candidate and the behavioral aspects which define the choice of accounting as a profession. There have been numerous research works in the field of identifying profound factors in human psychology which enable decision making and the influence of reaction of other individuals to decisions. Therefore, personal and social influences have been found as the prominent factors which change the decisions of an individual while selecting a favorable career option (Jackling &Keneley, 2009). Influx of a large volume of accounting graduates could be possible through estimation of the significance of factors such as normative and behavioral beliefs. These factors are used to analyze the choice of study of an individual from the perspective of their attitude towards the specific course and the perception of prolific career opportunities.

As pet the research of Awayiga, Onumah&Tsamenyi, Behavioral beliefs pertain to the identification of plausible opportunities in the specific career path and they are also influential on the personal attitudes of an individual (Awayiga, Onumah&Tsamenyi, 2010). Behavioral beliefs are shaped by two prominent factors known as intrinsic and extrinsic factors. The extrinsic factors are largely associated with the perception of rewards which can be garnered from a specific profession, accounting in this case. The factors primarily include job security, job availability, financial remuneration and fair opportunities for advancement. Hence, many researchers have pointed out that despite the massive and complex courses involved with accountingstudents can prefer to leverage efforts in order to gain profits in the later stage through higher remunerations. Intrinsic factors influencing behavioral beliefs are reflective of personal satisfaction obtained from certain activities (Awayiga, Onumah&Tsamenyi., 2010). Researchers have indicated that the interest of students in accounting decreases alongside the progress of the course. The intrinsic aspiration of individuals pursuing accounting as a major discipline were indicative of their interest in the profession of accounting and is also associated with an inherent objective of a promising job. The quality of education provided in higher education institutes related with accounting has to be improved over time in order to improve the intrinsic interest of student to learn accounting. Furthermore, it has been observed that accounting graduates influenced by intrinsic factors tend to perform better in complex situations than graduates with aspiration for extrinsic rewards. Normative beliefs are also considered as profound indications of an individual’s attitude towards accounting as a career choice. These beliefs refer to the influence of others which is termed as subjective norms. The subject of international students opting for accounting and the role of cultural interplays while determining the behavioral and normative beliefs of the students has also been mentioned in the research of many academics (Awayiga, Onumah&Tsamenyi, 2010). 

Employability of Accounting Graduates

The reflection on dynamic changes in the market environment results in determination of different skills required for accounting graduates to meet the requirements of employers. The skills have been mentioned in standardized policies which are specifically relevant to employability of accounting graduates. Communication skills are the primary aspect searched for by employers in a new entry level accountant. The communication skills of the candidate would have to be evaluated on the basis of proficiency in verbal and non-verbal modes of communication, listening and organization of information management frameworks. The requirement of intellectual skills is also a mandatory mention in the list of employability skills (Lowden et al., 2011). An accountant must be capable of responding to diverse and unpredictedsituations which would require implementation of a mix of capabilities such as prioritization, adaptability, inductive reasoning and application of value based reasoning for resolution of ethical dilemmas. As per Lowden, Interpersonal skills are required in an accounting graduate especially for objectives such as conflict resolution, motivation, organization and delegation of tasks as well as the ability of the individual to influence others. Technical skills have been emphasized in context of accounting with respect to the increasing complexity of information systems and the use of computers in accounting applications (Lowden, 2011). Accounting graduates must have the capabilities to deal with mathematical and statistical applications, modeling, measurement, capability to handle IT systems and risk analysis. Accounting graduates also need to be proficient in personal skills which refer to behavioral preferences of the accountant and the skills include self-learning, ability to perform under stringent deadlines and resources, ability to integrate ethics and values in decision making as well as professional skepticism. Other skills required by employers in the contemporary domain of accounting profession include organizational and business knowledge which are reflective of skills for strategic planning, resource management, organization and delegation of tasks, leadership and project management.

Employers have recognized many setbacks in the accounting framework post the economic crisis in 2008. Therefore the ability of accounting professionals came under question owing to several corporate collapses. This resulted in modification of skill preference by employers through incorporation of higher standards of ethical behavior as a profound requirement from accounting graduates. The lack of emphasis on ethical behavior in an accounting curriculum has also been observed in the works of many researchers. Ethical behavior was neglected as a core skill for accounting graduates. However, recent surveys have indicated that the preference of employers in the accounting profession for ethical behavior has been increasing steadily. While many skeptics have pointed out to the ambiguity over retention of generic skills earned by a graduate in university, the countering claims have focused on the use of substantial measures to infuse generic skills. Furthermore, it has been found that development of generic skills is a tedious process and requires a long period of time. Therefore, the recommended strategies for HEIs to ensure proliferation of ethical behavior can be implemented otherwise through relocation of resources towards development of training programs related to employment and work experience. Apart from the consideration of skills as an attribute for developing the probability of accounting graduates to fulfill employer’s criteria, many research reports also suggest that certain factors associated with the behavior of an individual also form a part of many employment criteria for accounting graduates. References to multiple sources of research have facilitated a conclusive illustration of the impact of attitudes in the employment of accounting graduates which has been detailed in the report.

Skills Required by Employers for Accounting Graduates

Conclusion:

The literature presented in the report above was primarily concerned with the scope of employability with respect to the accounting sector, necessary skills required in the modern business environment and the requirement of analyzing factors which influence the beliefs and personal attitudes of accounting graduates. The critical reflection on each of the entities mentioned in literature would provide an alternate perspective on the findings of researchers. Since the accounting sector has become complex with the inclusion of many organizations in the business environment alongside the various entities such as technological advancements and the huge influx of data (Awayiga, Onumah&Tsamenyi, 2010). Therefore, the research question concerning accounting graduates and their capability to address employer requisites can be reviewed from the utilization of reasonable measures which can include employability skills. However, a performance oriented organization would prefer to account for unique skills such as proficiency in IT and numeracy for it accounting applications while in case of other organizations employers may demand efficient communication skills in an entry level accounting graduate for cognizable interaction with clients. Therefore, university curriculum which provides courses directed towards integration of employability skills in the skill sets of accounting undergraduates could be critiqued on the basis of ambiguity and irrelevance with respect to specific organizational contexts. Furthermore, the element of academic freedom of the universities needs to be considered as a prominent pitfall. Research suggests that higher education institutes are not liable to face any sort of setbacks with respect to the content being delivered to accounting graduates. Industry oriented skill training could enable graduates to comply with the present industry standards. However, the question of sustainability of such skills in future market environments is a major reflection drawn from the research. The research gap could be widened further with the scope for integration of accounting information systems in diverse industries which can create issues for accounting graduates as well as employers. While employers have varying criteria for recruitment depending on their short term and long term objectives, their capabilities for prediction would have to be aligned with the skill sets of entry-level accounting graduates. This creates an alternate perception that employers could also access limited choices depending on the existing industry requirements. The induction of normative and behavioral beliefs in the skills of accounting graduates could also be considered as a profound research gap since instances of behavioral beliefs vary according to personal preferences  and hence the impact of motivational factors on the efficiency of accounting graduates can be considered as a pitfall of the research (Lowden et al., 2011). Therefore, the development of personal attitudes through normative and behavioral beliefs can be considered irrelevant in certain cases where employers require accountants to conform tostrategic objectives and limited opportunities for professional development as well as in financial remunerations. Therefore, the research issue has to be addressed with further references to literature which indicate diverse approaches to education of accounting graduates, proficiency of universities in educating the graduates and shaping them for the accounting profession according to standards demanded by employers. The research gap identified in the present report were primarily centered on the impact of changes in industrial and market environments, the feasibility of skills of accounting graduates in diverse conditions and the effect of personal attitudes on the efficiency of the entry level graduates. The gaps are reflective of suggestions for future research as the changes in requirements of employers have to be evaluated according to the variations in the demands of labor market and external environmental factors. Furthermore, the effect of behavioral preferences has to be analyzed in future research so that specific inherent traits which are responsible for the extrinsic and intrinsic motivation of an accounting graduate to earn necessary skills according to demands of employers, can be determined.  The following questions were used for reflecting on the research.

References

Awayiga, J., Onumah, J. and Tsamenyi, M. 2010. Knowledge and Skills Development of Accounting Graduates: The Perceptions of Graduates and Employers in Ghana. Accounting Education, 19(1-2), pp.139-158.

Jackling, B. and Keneley, M. 2009. Influences on the supply of accounting graduates in Australia: a focus on international students. Accounting & Finance, 49(1), pp.141-159.

Jackling, B. and De Lange, P. 2009. Do Accounting Graduates’ Skills Meet The Expectations of Employers? A Matter of Convergence or Divergence. Accounting Education, 18(4-5), pp.369-385.

Lowden, K., Hall, S., Elliot, D., and Lewin, J. 2011 Employers’ perceptions of the employability skills of new graduates.Project Report.Edge Foundation, London, UK.