Employer-Employee Perceptual Differences in Job Competency: A Study of Generic Skills, Knowledge Required, and Personal Qualities for Accounting-Related Entry-Level Job Positions

Abstract

To be successful in the job career, it is important to satisfy the needs of the employers. Hence it is crucial to find out what are perceived to be more important by the employers as compared to the employees. The aim of the study is to examine if there is a perceptual gap between the employers and the fresh accounting graduates in terms of the generic skills, knowledge and personal qualities. The study adopts a quantitative approach where an online survey was conducted. Fifty employers and 80 employees participated in the survey. The study found a perceptual gap exists in terms of generic skills and knowledge. However, there is no perceptual gap on personal qualities. Employers rated ability to work in team, the ability to handle stress and the ability of problem-solving skills as the most important generic skills that need to be possessed by the fresh accounting graduates. In terms of knowledge, professional standards for accounting and auditing reporting and professional conduct are critical. In addition, employers expect employees to be responsible, reliable and trustworthy. The results of the study can be used as a guide to the employees in living up to the expectation of the employers. It can also be used as a basis for the accounting education providers to develop their future accounting curriculum.

COVID-19’s Implications for Accounting Courses’ Competence Development: The Case of Portugal

“…The sample shows that this is the second most developed competence as students attributed it an average of xm7 = 5.46 out of 7; that is, they agreed and their tendency was to agree very much. The "ability to work in a team" (xm6 = 5.41) is also an important competence for the performance of the profession, which is in line with the literature (Aryanti & Adhariani, 2020;Derekoy, 2019;Domingos, 2017;Jackling & De Lange, 2009;Lim et al, 2016Lim et al, , 2019.…”

“…The authors also reinforced the idea that the ability to communicate is relevant to promoting the employability of accounting professionals. Lim et al (2019) stated that graduates in the field of accounting must have knowledge in other areas, such as behavior and communication. Dzuranin et al (2018) supported this assertion by stating that this knowledge is related to (i) interpersonal competences, (ii) time management, and (iii) continuous learning, stressing that, despite the importance of technical accounting knowledge, companies give greater importance to general competences in the recruitment and selection processes.…”

“…Technical competences are crucial for accounting graduates to develop a successful career. They must be technically competent in the scope of the functions for which they are hired; that is, they must have mastered the basic knowledge related to accounting among other legal requirements (Lim et al, 2019). Moreover, employers are looking for (i) the ability to work in a team, (ii) the ability to deal with stress, and (iii) the ability to solve problems (Lim et al, 2019).…”

“…Studies carried out in countries with good educational systems, such as the United States of America (USA), the United Kingdom, and Australia, have highlighted the inadequacy of accounting graduates. In the last two decades, research has suggested that education in this area is outdated and that curricula do not meet employers' expectations and needs; therefore, there is no harmony with real-world requirements (Albrecht & Sack, 2000;Aryanti & Adhariani, 2020;Derekoy, 2019;Getahun & Mersha, 2020;Jackling & de Lange, 2009;Kavanagh & Drennan, 2008;Lim et al, 2019). Faced with the new challenges of the accounting profession, other studies have focused on the competences that accounting graduates are currently required to have due to the rapid changes in the technological environment (Bressler & Pence, 2019;Dwaase et al, 2020;Pan & Seow, 2016).…”

“…Cory and Pruske (2012);Domingos (2017);Dwaase et al (2020);Dzuranin et al (2018);Jackling and De Lange (2009);Lim et al (2016) Ability to work in a teamAryanti and Adhariani (2020);Derekoy (2019);Domingos (2017);Jackling and De Lange (2009);Kavanagh and Drennan (2008);Lim et al (2016Lim et al ( , 2019 Analytical abilityBressler and Pence (2019); Dwaase et al (2020); Getahun and Mersha (2020); Jackling and De Lange (2009); Lim et al (2016) Communication ability (oral and written) Bressler and Pence (2019); Derekoy (2019); Domingos (2017); Dwaase et al (2020); Dzuranin et al (2018); Getahun and Mersha (2020); Jackling and De Lange (2009); Kavanagh and Drennan (2008); Lim et al (2016) Continuous learning Domingos (2017); Dzuranin et al (2018); Kavanagh and Drennan (2008); Lim et al (2016) Critical thinking Domingos (2017); Lim et al (2016) Intellectual competences Dwaase et al (2020) Organizational and business management Dwaase et al (2020); Jackling and De Lange (2009) Personal competences Dwaase et al (2020) Problem-solving ability Cory and Pruske (2012); Domingos (2017); Getahun and Mersha (2020); Jackling and De Lange (2009); Kavanagh and Drennan (2008); Lim et al (2016, 2019) Time management Aryanti and Adhariani (2020) Work ethics Aryanti and Adhariani (2020); Cory and Pruske (2012); Derekoy (2019); Jackling and De Lange (2009); Kavanagh and Drennan (2008) In addition, Dwaase et al (2020) reported that the success of the accounting professional is related to a combination of competences: (i) intellectual; (ii) technical; (iii) personal; and (iv) interpersonal. The authors mentioned that (i) intellectual competences are responsible for decision making and problem solving; (ii) technical competences are related to matters in the accounting and financial area; (iii) personal competences are responsible for adaptation to change and acting with ethics; and, finally, (iv) interpersonal competences are associated with the interaction of all the competences.…”