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1 – 10 of over 4000Lisa Powell and Nicholas McGuigan
This paper aims to explore the role of individual inner dimensions in fostering sustainable mindsets in accounting students and graduates. Individual inner dimensions such as…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the role of individual inner dimensions in fostering sustainable mindsets in accounting students and graduates. Individual inner dimensions such as compassion shape our behaviour and responses to sustainability challenges. Consideration of inner dimensions, in conjunction with sustainability knowledge and skill development, is needed for reshaping the accounting profession towards achieving sustainable futures.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors explore the role of individual inner dimensions in accounting and how approaches to cultivating compassion in other disciplinary educational settings could be applied to cultivate and facilitate compassion within accounting education. Approaches to cultivating compassion for human and non-human species within accounting education are presented, highlighting their relevance to accounting decisions and organisational accountability.
Findings
Cultivating compassion for human and non-human species within accounting education aligns with the broader role of accounting in social and environmental issues. Embedding compassionate approaches with a problem-solving focus within accounting pedagogies and curricula design could contribute to shaping behaviour and reorienting the mindsets of future accounting professionals.
Social implications
Cultivating compassion within accounting students enhances connections across species, encourages students to recognise the role of compassion in sustainable decision-making and promotes a sustainable mindset. Enhanced compassion in accounting graduates could provide the motivational force for action-oriented responses from the accounting profession to the unprecedented ecological crisis.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper presents a first step in exploring potential approaches to cultivating and facilitating compassion within accounting pedagogies and curricula design. This paper extends sustainability accounting education literature by considering individual inner dimensions in shifting mindsets of accounting students, graduates and educators towards sustainability.
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Natalie Tatiana Churyk, Martin Ndicu and Thomas C. Pearson
Creating a mindset for research, including the development of professional research skills and critical thinking, is of the utmost importance in preparing students for the…
Abstract
Creating a mindset for research, including the development of professional research skills and critical thinking, is of the utmost importance in preparing students for the business world. To help faculty with this mindset, we discuss novel approaches for incorporating professional research and interactions into the undergraduate classroom, although the recommendations can apply to the entire curriculum. We describe three scenarios where our recommendations might apply – research/financial, tax, and accounting information system courses. Using a professional accounting research course and a financial course as examples, we start out broadly discussing a practitioner-coauthored professional case study approach that is applicable to any course, at any level. We then present a capstone undergraduate tax research course followed by an introduction of a specific project in an accounting information systems course. We include suggested syllabi, projects, and assessment rubrics throughout the discussion.
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Steven A. Harrast, Lori Olsen and Yan (Tricia) Sun
Prior research (Harrast, Olsen, & Sun, 2023) analyzes the eight emerging topics to be included in future CPA exams and discusses their importance to career success and appropriate…
Abstract
Prior research (Harrast, Olsen, & Sun, 2023) analyzes the eight emerging topics to be included in future CPA exams and discusses their importance to career success and appropriate teaching locus in light of survey evidence. They find that the general topic of data analytics is the most important of the eight emerging topics. To further understand the topics most important to career success, this study analyzes subtopics underlying the eight emerging topics. The results show that advanced Excel analysis tools, data visualization, and data extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL) are the most important data analytics subskills for career success according to professionals and that these topics should be both introduced and emphasized in the accounting curriculum. The results provide useful information to educators to prioritize general emerging topics and specific subtopics in the accounting curriculum by taking into account the most pressing needs of the profession.
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Sony Warsono, Ratna Candra Sari, Laura Neviyanti Kusuma Putri and Muhammad Roy Aziz Haryana
This study aims to describe and examine the effectiveness of the mathematics-based learning method, called Accountamatics (Accounting from Mathematics perspective). The…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to describe and examine the effectiveness of the mathematics-based learning method, called Accountamatics (Accounting from Mathematics perspective). The Accountamatics method is rooted in the principles of double-entry bookkeeping and the rules of debits and credits, which were initially documented by Luca Pacioli, a Mathematics Professor, in a mathematics book.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses a quasi-experimental design, spanning a duration of one semester, to examine its research objectives. The participants included 230 students from the Faculty of Economics and Business in Indonesia, who were accredited by AACSB. Control variables, including gender, majors and study backgrounds, were taken into consideration. The data was analyzed using a linear regression test, followed by a comparative t-test.
Findings
The study findings show a significant positive impact of the Accountamatics method on student performance when compared to traditional learning approaches. Furthermore, the analysis indicates that the control variables examined in the study did not have a significant effect on student performance. Thus, it can be inferred that the implementation of the Accountamatics method has a beneficial effect on the academic performance of college students.
Practical implications
The study findings provide valuable insights for faculty members in higher education institutions, highlighting the potential benefits of incorporating mathematics-based teaching in accounting as an alternative approach for business students. These findings contribute to the existing knowledge on innovative teaching methods that can enhance the study of accounting within the business curriculum.
Originality/value
Over the span of around 25 years, extensive research has been conducted to compare traditional teaching methods with innovative approaches. However, the results have not consistently shown that the innovative methods outperform their traditional counterparts. In response to this, the Accountamatics method has been developed, building upon the fundamental knowledge in accounting that has been used since 1494. Despite its historical significance, this method is sometimes regarded as limited to technical knowledge in the modern era.
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The objective of this paper is to review and analyze the existing literature on computerized accounting education (CAE) in educational institutions across the Gulf Cooperation…
Abstract
Purpose
The objective of this paper is to review and analyze the existing literature on computerized accounting education (CAE) in educational institutions across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and to suggest a research agenda for the future.
Design/methodology/approach
The author employs a structured literature review (SLR) approach to analyze CAE research published in the GCC between 1981 and 2021.
Findings
The current study has focused mainly on education in the field of computerized accounting (CA); however, very few research studies have focused on CAE. The author recognized two key topics: the broad concept of CA and the identification of software programs used to teach CA courses.
Research limitations/implications
A future study might extend to address the gap in the knowledge of graduate students’ theoretical concept in accounting with CA program across higher-educational institutions (HEIs) in the GCC.
Practical implications
The broad topic analyzed by the author leads to highlight the growing need for students’ practical skills in CA, particularly in the GCC, and to give suggestions for future research. This study also provides a kind of advice to educational institutions to implement an appropriate CA program for CA courses.
Originality/value
Currently, there is a lack of SLR on CAE. Findings on the broad topic analyzed in the current study have been addressed by agreeing on a critical assessment of present research and future research goals.
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The purpose of this study is to evaluate the current state of forensic accounting education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), as well as to identify the desired aims and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the current state of forensic accounting education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), as well as to identify the desired aims and skills required to practice forensic accounting as a profession. It also seeks to understand the education and skills provided by KSA forensic accounting education programs, the job skills required by professional accountants and the skills required by professional accountants' employers.
Design/methodology/approach
The study is exploratory in nature. A convenience base sampling approach was used to select the academicians and practitioners working in KSA. Participants were requested to fill out an electronic questionnaire and rank each statement on a 5-point Likert score. The responses were converted and analyzed using the T-test, to evaluate the inter- and intra-group trends in the data.
Findings
The study included 58 responses from practitioners and 30 from academicians. Both groups mentioned that the classroom and the Internet were their primary source of forensic accounting information, especially in professional accounting qualifications. According to the participants, most of the institutions in KSA do not offer forensic accounting courses. Nonetheless, forensic accounting is critical for strengthening the credibility of financial reporting in courtrooms. The study finds subtle inter-group differences regarding the development of an ideal curriculum for forensic accounting, which translates to a bigger difference in curriculum development and practice skills. Both groups were optimistic about the future path of forensic accounting in KSA.
Originality/value
The study reports critical differences between the status of forensic accounting education and the skills required to practice forensic accountancy in KSA.
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Arash Arianpoor, Elham Yazdanmehr and Majid Elahi Shirvan
To measure the dynamic features of compassion as an emotional and behavioral construct, the present research used a univariate latent growth modeling (LGM) approach within the…
Abstract
Purpose
To measure the dynamic features of compassion as an emotional and behavioral construct, the present research used a univariate latent growth modeling (LGM) approach within the structural equation modeling (SEM) framework. The aim was to trace the dynamic development of compassion longitudinally in accounting and business students during a three-credit English course at university.
Design/methodology/approach
The suggested method ensures the measurement invariance over time, deals with the first order latent variable, traces its growth and takes into account the measurement errors. This longitudinal analytical method was used to explore the initial state and the growth of compassion in four points of time during a language course. The data were collected from 60 adult accounting and business students in four time phases using Sprecher and Fehr's Compassionate Love Scale and were analyzed in Mplus 8.4 with univariate LGM.
Findings
The model fit was accepted and the invariance of the latent factor was confirmed over time. The negative covariance between intercept and slope (second-order latent variables) suggested that lower initial scores in L2 learners' compassion show a faster increase in compassion over time as the mean of slope is larger than that of the intercept. L2 learners who started off at a higher level of compassion showed a slower change in compassion over time. This can be at least partly explained by the teacher's motivating role or learners' compassion but needs to be further explored in complementary qualitative phases for deeper insights.
Originality/value
In the present research, awareness was raised of the developmental nature of compassion as an emotional and behavioral construct essential to the accounting and business profession. The great strength of this research lies in the dynamic approach to the compassion construct and the LGM used to capture the temporal growth of compassion and how it evolved through the L2 course.
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Jaydip Kanango, Ashutosh Bhatnagar, Ravikant Gupta and Vikas Kashyap
This research has been taken up by the human resource center of organization X, for designing a curriculum for a training course named “Basic Computer Application”, by optimizing…
Abstract
Purpose
This research has been taken up by the human resource center of organization X, for designing a curriculum for a training course named “Basic Computer Application”, by optimizing topics and finalizing teaching strategies, based on needs and expectations collected from past and prospective training participants from different ranks of employees of X. The study aims to discuss this issue.
Design/methodology/approach
The research strategy adopted is based on a survey conducted using a specially designed questionnaire. The questionnaire was circulated to 256 personnel selected randomly having computer backgrounds as well as non-computer backgrounds, who had either attended past batches of the same training course or attended different training courses. The data thus collected was processed using VOC Table and the affinity diagram and subsequently fed into the house of quality (HOQ) for obtaining desired output.
Findings
The study has identified and optimized topics for the course, based on employee needs/wants, using the two-stage QFD approach. After delivering the course with an optimized curriculum and teaching strategy, it is observed that the overall participant satisfaction performance of the course has increased from 3 to 4.6, which is higher than the goal set at 4. This indicates an overall enhancement in the satisfaction of participants with the delivery of the new improved course curriculum.
Research limitations/implications
As indicated by the survey findings, the competence level of personnel with computer backgrounds is higher than that of personnel without computer backgrounds, which would result in different design considerations while constructing QFDs for these two entirely different groups of participants. This study has been limited to the course curriculum design for personnel with non-computer backgrounds only. The curriculum design for personnel with computer backgrounds will be addressed separately, in a future study.
Originality/value
This is an original study conducted on randomly selected employees across the country from among personnel working for different establishments of organization X. The approach taken in this study for optimizing a course curriculum is unique in the way that it uses a two-stage QFD, which is traditionally used for the design of a product, its components, and the subsequent manufacturing process. This study has employed a planning matrix that incorporated participant-given ratings for each individual need and also participant-decided benchmarking ratings of other similar courses. Estimation of final target has been done by factoring in participants' competence ratings for each individual topic, for a more truthful representation of participant opinion on the final output. This study has also adopted a unique approach of considering only top 80% (in terms of frequency of occurrence) of total responses while calculating weighted averages, instead of calculating the mean value of all data points. In this way, only the significant contributors have been considered while analyzing data.
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Renee Flasher, Lydia Didia and Justyna Skomra
Leveraging lobbying theory, the authors analyze responses to the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) proposal suggesting the removal of state and local…
Abstract
Purpose
Leveraging lobbying theory, the authors analyze responses to the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) proposal suggesting the removal of state and local governmental accounting from the content tested on the uniform certified public accountant (CPA) examination. Furthermore, the authors compare the responses to a prior exam content review to place the uniqueness of the more recent response in perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors examine 181 comment letters obtained from the AICPA website. In addition, the relative concentration of governmental entities across the USA is studied for correlation with the response rate.
Findings
Consistent with lobbying theory, the authors find that participating governmental entities overwhelmingly argued for the retention of governmental accounting. In contrast, most other groups of respondents (accounting firms, state societies, etc.) had at least one letter that agrees with the removal of the content.
Originality/value
While the letter writers appear to be successful in retaining the governmental accounting content on the CPA exam, the majority of the detailed content has been placed within a specialized area on the new version of the CPA exam, expected to be deployed in 2024. This means that fewer CPA candidates will be exposed to governmental accounting than under the current regime. It has implications for governmental units seeking qualified candidates to fill their staffing needs especially as fewer universities offer governmental accounting courses.
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Caroline Hands and Maria Limniou
Prior learning and prior knowledge are among the most dependable and consistent factors in predicting students’ success (Richardson et al., 2012). Although for UK Higher…
Abstract
Prior learning and prior knowledge are among the most dependable and consistent factors in predicting students’ success (Richardson et al., 2012). Although for UK Higher Education, the traditional A-level (advanced level qualification) remains the principal qualification students use to gain entry to University, there has been a small but significant rise in alternative qualifications, such as the International Baccalaureate (IB) and vocational qualifications such as that from the Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC). The multidisciplinary nature of Psychology means students enter the degree program with a range of qualifications in differing topic areas. The current case study aimed to assess if science qualifications aided student success in the University of Liverpool’s Psychology course. Ordinal regression and correlations were used to examine the impact of prior qualifications on three first-year cohort module scores (Psychobiology, Social psychology, and Research Methods) and the overall degree mark across three cohorts of Psychology students (n = 1,072). University entry grades showed a significant overall and subject specific effect of scientific prior knowledge. However, the effects of previous qualifications were not cumulative and did not persist beyond the first year of study. These findings were strongest for Chemistry in the Psychobiology module suggesting that scientific literacy – the understanding of scientific concepts, phenomena, and processes, as well as an individual’s ability to apply such knowledge to new or non-scientific situations (Schleicher, 2019) – rather than domain-specific knowledge is driving such increase in grades. A negative relationship was seen for those holding BTEC qualifications, suggesting that vocational qualifications, specifically for this Psychology program, were of less use than academic ones, even if topic areas were similar – a finding which may also apply to other academic based courses, and warrants further study. Although the advantage of prior qualifications diminishes across the course of study, this small but distinct advantage suggests that making a science qualification a requirement for a place on a Psychology degree course would be a beneficial step for admissions tutors to consider.
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