CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

The rapid advancement of technology has transformed the accounting profession, making it essential for accounting students to acquire skills in accounting-based technology to remain employable (Albrecht & Sack, 2000). Accounting-Based technology refers to the use of computer hardware and software to perform accounting tasks, such as financial accounting, management accounting, auditing, and taxation (Romney & Steinbart, 2018).

Virtually every modern office today is characterized by computer technology as the primary equipment for information and communication technology. There is hardly any office in Cameroon that one is going to visit in the public or private sectors that has no computers today. To put it another way, industrial workplaces today are highly mechanized as a result of technological advances. Businesses and accounting environments are evolving very quickly at an unprecedented pace Nwokike (2015).

Companies and offices are evolving very quickly and with unprecedented speed and scale. In addition to the technological know- how of one’s career, there are two sets of skills that every employer today is looking for in an employee who is an expert in technology and soft skills gbayi and Okwuanaso (2013). Computing and related technologies have continued to develop and grow accountants or accounting graduates would continue to aspire for excellence in their work by learning accounting technology skills Karpinski & Siu (2020). Turner listed some of the necessary technical skills that all Accountants should have such as: word processing skills, spreadsheet, database, electronic presentation, web browsing, website design, email management skills, digital cameras, computer networking expertise, file management and windows explorer software download from the Internet, etc. Soft skills are also known as the talents of humans, are an individual’s personal attributes. The 2011 vision of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (A.I.C.P.A.) project recently identified soft skills as a core competence that should be possessed by all accountants. Accountants are supposed to be   able to connect data knowledge (1.C.T. knowledge) today, provide quality guidance for strategic decision-making, offer meaningful context, and influence and inspire other people.  Low, Samkin and Liu (2013)

Employers want workers who can think critically, solve problems creatively, innovate, have I.C.T. skills, collaborate and communicated effectively in the office, this added skill aids the accounting graduate to be employable among others, thus when these skills are not attained (especially technology skills in accounting) it constitutes a bottleneck to the employment of accounting graduates.  Nwokike (2015).

Skills from the 21^st century is a wide range of knowledge and skills that include (accounting tech skills) which employers need to be critically relevant to workplace success Edglossary Organization (2014). Some of Edglossary’s listed 21st Century skills include; critical thinking, problem solving, reasoning, analysis interpretation, creativity, work technology, etc. The increasing number of business leaders, politicians and educators agreed that students need the skills of the 21st century to be successful today. They said it was exciting to believe that people are living in times that are so revolutionary that they are demanding new and different activities; this gave rise to new technological know-how, especially in the field accounting Rotherham and Willinghan (2009).

Memorization for earning high grades is necessary, but not sufficient for Employment and success in today’s work workplace. Accounting technology is the accounting aspect that deals with the recording and maintenance of books of accounts Romney & Steinbart (2018). Accounting-based technology has the potential to improve the way people record their different business transactions. It is also useful for tax determination. Business can’t thrive without effective use of data for business planning. This is in agreement with Albrecht & Sack (2000)                 , who stated that accounting is the universal language of business.

There is an expectation gap in the skills possessed by accounting graduates vis-à-vis what the skills required on the job. This gap was heavily experienced in communication skills, professionalism and the analytical skills of the graduates, which are in sharp contrast to the current study, Norman et al. (2018). Smith & Wong (2023) , who found that employers saw accounting graduates to be struggling in the technical skills (technical knowledge in accounting and application of the knowledge to practice) This finding is further supported by studies of both Ahmad et al. (2024), that accounting graduates have less mastery over information communication skills as that skill has been less emphasized in accounting education. The finding of the current study on the underdevelopment of technological skills among graduates is further confirmed in Moyo & Nkosi (2022), who found that accounting graduates lack technological skills. 

The main objective of accounting technology is to provide students with an advanced, accurate and usable level of accounting knowledge and skills through .C.T. With the introduction of the computer to many business applications, those business areas that involve repetitive tasks which are often monotonous and fallible to (cash, inventory control, payroll, etc.) are increasingly being simplified accurately by combining the cost, effectiveness, simplicity of use, efficiency, reliability and accuracy of the computer to obtain, analyze and interpret data information for efficient business decisions. Though the introduction of computer and other accounting-based technologies too many facets of business operations is a welcome idea, accounting technology and systems such organizations need to strike a balance between accounting areas to be manually operated to control or limit the associated with unemployment.

Studies have shown that employers in the accounting profession require graduates to possess skills in Accounting-based technology, such as proficiency in accounting software, spreadsheet analysis, and data analytics (AICPA, 2019; IFAC, 2013). However, research has also revealed that many accounting graduates lack the necessary skills in Accounting-based technology, making them less employable (ACCOUNTING EDUCATION CHANGE COMMISSION , 1990).

This study aims to investigate the effects of Accounting-based technological skills on the employability of accounting graduates in Cameroon.

 1.2 Problem Statement.

The unemployment rate among accounting graduates in Cameroon is alarming, with many individuals struggling to secure jobs or even creating and sustaining businesses despite the growing demand for accounting professionals in our country. Even when employed, some accounting graduates find themselves working in roles unrelated to accounting, leading to underutilization of their skills and knowledge, a lack of job satisfaction, frustration and reduced career prospect. This raises concern about the ability of accounting graduates in Cameroon to secure good jobs in accounting firms, government agencies or private organizations or create their own entrepreneurial ventures. This not only affects their productivity but also result in a waste of resources invested in their education. This can have long term effects on their career advancement, earning potentials and overall well-being. The economy also suffers as the skills and knowledge of this graduates are not utilized to drive economic growth and development.

In Cameroon where the labor market is already facing significant challenges, the underutilization of accounting graduates’ skills can exacerbate the problem. It is essential to identify the root causes of the mismatch and develop strategies to address it, ensuring that accounting graduates are equipped with the skills and knowledge required by the labor market, and that they are able to contribute effectively to the economy.

1.3 Research Question

Main Research Question

What is the effect of accounting based technological skills on the employability of accounting graduates in Cameroon?

Specific Research Questions

1. What is the relationship between proficiency in accounting software and employability of accounting graduates in Cameroon?
2. How does excel and spreadsheet competences affect the employability of accounting graduates in Cameroon?
3. How does familiarity with data analytical tools affect the employability of accounting graduates?

1.4 Main Research Objectives

Research Objectives

To investigate the effect of accounting-based technological skills on the employability of accounting graduates in Cameroon.

Specific Research Objectives

1. To examine the relationship between proficiency in accounting software and employability of accounting graduates in Cameroon.
2. To investigate the effects of excel and spreadsheet competences on the employability of accounting graduates in Cameroon.
3. To determine the effect of familiarity with data analytical tools on the employability of accounting graduates.