The impact of IT level of knowledge on work-readiness from the accounting graduate perspective: Evidence from Greece

Dimitra Karagiorgou,Dimitra Seretidou,Antonios Stavropoulos

doi:10.22495/jgr_v8_i2_p4

Abstract

The current reality of the business world, commands that economists and especially accountants include in their daily routine contemporary and advanced information systems with which it is considered necessary that economists and accountants be familiar and well trained. IT knowledge and skills are increasingly important for graduates to enter the accounting job market. Over the last years, the persistent discrepancy between IT skills provided by job candidates and expectations of employers has triggered many scholars and research centers to focus on the graduate skills gap. The lack of education of business schools comprises an obstacle to the normalization of new circumstances as there is no defined standard of necessary knowledge and the appropriate lessons learning technologies are not included in the curriculum. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of graduates’ IT knowledge on their perceived readiness to enter the accounting job market. A self-administered survey conducted and a sample of 363 questionnaires was gathered for the purpose of the study. Principal components analysis supported four components of IT tools which were used in hierarchical regression analysis as determinants of the perceived work readiness of graduates. During the analysis satisfaction with the teaching and learning processes were taken into consideration as well as the type of the institution graduates attend. Research findings indicate that educators must give attention to specific accounting IT tools and applications so as to enhance graduates’ level of knowledge. Satisfaction with learning and teaching experience and the type of institution are important causal elements for graduates’ work-readiness.

Highlights

In recent decades, the development of information systems has had a huge impact almost all over the world
Over the last decades, accounting education has come under criticism for failing to meet the increasing demands and constant changes in the business environment (Awayiga et al, 2010)
There is evidence that accounting graduates do not have the required skills to move into the workplace (Altarawneh, 2016) and that there is a mismatch between accounting education and knowledge requirements of the accounting job market (Albrecht & Sack, 2000; Awayiga et al, 2010; El-Dalahmeh, 2017)

Summary

Introduction

The development of information systems has had a huge impact almost all over the world. According to CareerBuilder’s annual job forecast (2016) information technology and accounting/finance are among the top recruitment market segments in the U.S (O’Bannon, 2016). Over the last decades, accounting education has come under criticism for failing to meet the increasing demands and constant changes in the business environment (Awayiga et al, 2010). There is evidence that accounting graduates do not have the required skills to move into the workplace (Altarawneh, 2016) and that there is a mismatch between accounting education and knowledge requirements of the accounting job market (Albrecht & Sack, 2000; Awayiga et al, 2010; El-Dalahmeh, 2017). Graduates who equipped with soft skills are of great value to organizations (Warwick & Howard, 2015), technical skills remain important as ever (Adel, 2016)

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion