E-business in accounting education in the UK and Ireland: Influences on inclusion in the curriculum

Accounting Education Challenges in the New Millennium Era

“…In recent years the impact of technology and globalization has changed significantly the context within which the accountancy profession works. Accounting graduates should now have a very different education from that of earlier generations, who had entered the job market in a world characterized by simple computerized systems and manual processes (Kotb, Roberts, and Stoner, 2013). Individuals entering the accounting profession must acquire the necessary skills to use technology tools effectively and efficient (Willis, 2016).…”

“…Changes in corporate management are driven by an integrated information platform facilitated through information technology innovations, such as tightly integrated ERP systems with shared database and Internet solutions (Taipaleenmäki and Ikäheimo, 2013). IT innovations, such as ERP systems, support and integrate both internal and external business processes, thus opening a broader basis for management control (Taipaleenmäki and Ikäheimo, 2013) University accounting education change, especially incorporating information technology, against the threat of market obsolescence and more recently (Kotb et al, 2013). Accountants and accounting students are increasingly needing improved awareness of and skills in using more advanced IT systems.…”

“…E-commerce has also helped in integrating the supply-side management into accountancy having its specific role. Given the increasing role of ebusiness in the real world and accounting students need to understand the world in which their discipline operates, it is, therefore argued that it is becoming increasingly important for students to be similarly exposed to the study of e-business (Kotb et al, 2013). Possible implications of developments in e-business audit for financial audit professionals.…”

“…They found that the traditional authority enjoyed by external financial auditors is being, and will be, increasingly challenged by IT audit specialists. They argue that if the existing knowledge and skills base of financial auditors is not realigned to the business needs IT specialists are set to dominate in the e-business audit jurisdiction (Kotb et al, 2013) The emerging business challenges from the changing business environment for the accountant are complex. One of the prime roles of the accountant is to help the business to be profitable and competitive, then this will inevitably mean that accountants will need to be far more involved than their traditional bean counter role within the firm.…”

“…The above skills would suggest that the accountant of the today and the accounting graduate of the future will along with their core accounting skills also need to be able to reflect and show expertise in a management advisory and analyst role (Gorman, 2006) Despite numerous calls for accounting curriculum to reflect changes in the business world, university accounting education has repeatedly been declared outof-date and failing to prepare graduates adequately for the changing business world (Kotb et al, 2013). There has been a range of studies calling for the revitalization of accounting education through the integration of emerging features of the business world, such as technological developments, into undergraduate accounting curriculum (Kotb et al, 2013). The importance of university curriculum content that reflects the knowledge and skills sets required for an increasingly sophisticated and changing business environment (Kotb et al, 2013).…”