PERSONAL AND INTERPERSONAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT IN AN ACCOUNTING DEGREE: A case study of accounting education

Transcription

1 PERSONAL AND INTERPERSONAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT IN AN ACCOUNTING DEGREE: A case study of accounting education Despina Whitefield BEd (MelbourneStateCollege) GradDipAcc (VUT) MBus (VUT) This thesis is submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the School of Business Swinburne University of Technology 2003

2 DECLARATION This thesis contains no material which has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma, except where due reference is made in the text of the thesis. To the best of my knowledge, this thesis contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made in the text of the thesis. Signed: Despina Whitefield Dated: 14 December 2003 i

3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis would not have been completed without the support, encouragement and persistence of Professor Louise Kloot and Associate Professor Jim Sillitoe. Both Professor Kloot and Associate Professor Sillitoe gave freely of their assistance, their time and their friendship. I would also like to thank Associate Professor Ian Roberts for his encouragement and friendship. In addition, the members of the Victoria University Research Discussion Group ( ) who provided a forum for new researchers to voice opinions. I would also like to thank the lecturers and graduates of Victoria University and employers of Victoria University graduates who without their support this thesis would not have been possible to complete. In addition, I would like to thank the Faculty of Business and Law and Victoria University s Outside Studies Program for time release for data collection and write up of this thesis. My journey in this process has involved my friends and family. Thank you to Rae Gibbs, who had read and reacted to several drafts in the initial stages of the research and later in the final stages of the write up for her help, encouragement and friendship. Peter and Katerina, my two children, thank you for putting up with a mother who was consistently glued to the computer for the past 6 years. Finally, an even bigger thank you to Tony, for giving me the encouragement and support to complete this thesis whilst he too was completing his own. ii

4 ABSTRACT This thesis examines the perceptions of lecturers, graduates and employers of personal and interpersonal skills development in an accounting degree at Victoria University. The development of personal and interpersonal skills in students in higher education has been the focus of discussion amongst accounting educators, accounting practitioners and the accounting profession for many years. There is a general consensus on what skills are necessarily sought to ensure success within the accountancy profession but very few previous studies on how those personal and interpersonal skills are being developed. This research study presents a research framework which emphasises the complex interrelationships between an accounting curriculum, accounting lecturers, accounting graduates and employers of graduate accountants and their perceptions of how personal and interpersonal skills are developed. A case study approach, combining archival, qualitative and quantitative methods, is used to investigate how a Bachelor of Business Accounting degree in one Australian university facilitates personal and interpersonal skills development. The case study results indicate that the curriculum, as the vector for skills development, has both explicit and implicit references to skills outcomes. Graduates perceptions of many of the personal and interpersonal skills considered in this study are closely related to the curriculum findings. However, there appears to be a lack of convergence between lecturers perceptions, the curriculum and graduates perceptions. Employers generally agree that graduates display most of the personal and interpersonal skills, albeit at a low level, in the workplace. There are curriculum implications arising from the results of this research for accounting academics who design and develop accounting programs where the value of graduates personal and interpersonal skills are acknowledged. As a first step, academics need to improve accounting curricula by explicitly integrating personal and interpersonal skills in their subjects. Communicating to students the explicit nature of personal and interpersonal skills development and making them aware is the next step. iii

5 TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ABSTRACT LIST OF FIGURES LIST OF TABLES i ii iii viii ix CHAPTER ONE: Introduction 1.1 Background and context Statement of the problem Justification for the research Outline of the thesis 7 CHAPTER TWO: Literature review 2.1 Introduction General pressures for change in higher education Pressures for change in accounting education in Australia Pressures for change in accounting education from overseas General discourse of skills development in accounting education Summary 31 CHAPTER THREE: Research framework 3.1 Introduction Research objectives Research model Research questions Summary 38 CHAPTER FOUR: Research methods 4.1 Introduction Methodological perspective The case study Stage I archival study of curriculum Explicit and implicit content Stage II stakeholder perceptions Phase I the survey Survey design and use Survey specifics: lecturers Survey specifics: graduates Data analysis of surveys Phase II the interview Interview protocol design and use Interview specifics: lecturers Interview specifics: graduates Theoretical sampling 52 iv

6 Interview specifics: employers Data analysis of interviews Ethical considerations Summary 60 CHAPTER FIVE: The curriculum 5.1 Introduction Structure of the degree Extra curricula activities promoted by the professional associations Selection of curriculum subjects Course information Personal and interpersonal skills Curriculum investigation Explicit and implicit content Explicit content Implicit content The process of prescribing definitions Comments on explicit and implicit content Summary 78 CHAPTER SIX: Lecturers perceptions 6.1 Introduction Lecturers perceptions: Phase I the survey Results and analysis of surveys Additional responses to survey First year subjects Previous skills of students Interim comments Lecturers perceptions: Phase II the interview Results and analysis of interviews Lecturers perceptions of the curriculum Opportunities and tasks available for skills development Mature age students Skills not present in the curriculum Empathy Handle change Handle challenges Creativity and innovation Conflict Interim comments Curriculum and previous work experience, co-operative education and extra curricula activities Improvements for skills development Summary 101 v

7 CHAPTER SEVEN: Graduates perceptions 7.1 Introduction Graduates perceptions: Phase I the survey Results and analysis of surveys Test for non-response bias Test for homogeneity of responses Survey results: frequencies and rankings Additional responses to survey Opportunities Standards Confidence Co-operative education Workplace Mature age Interim comments Graduates perceptions: Phase II the interview Results and analysis of interviews Curriculum and skills development area People skills when working in groups People skills in listening, written and oral communication Personal agency in handling oneself in situations of time pressure, stress, change, challenge, conflict and ambiguity Situational and decision making in the context of being flexible in new or different situations, act strategically, think and act independently, focused on outcomes and think creatively Moral sensitivity in empathy and ethics Motivation Interim comments Curriculum and previous work experience, co-operative education and extra curricula activities area Interim comments Workplace skills area Graduate suggestions for improvement area Summary 137 vi

8 CHAPTER EIGHT: Employers perceptions 8.1 Introduction Employers perceptions: the interview Results and analysis Group skills Communication skills Personal agency skills Situational and decision making skills Moral sensitivity skills Self motivation skills Summary of skills displayed in the workplace Most important skills Employer suggestions for improvement Summary 153 CHAPTER NINE: Summary and conclusions 9.1 Introduction Curriculum Stakeholder perceptions Lecturers Graduates Employers Discussion Implications and contribution of this study Developing a personal and interpersonal skills hierarchy Constraints Opportunities for further research 177 APPENDIX 1 Letter to lecturers from the Faculty of Business and Law to participate in the personal and interpersonal skills survey 179 APPENDIX 2 Survey of lecturers from the Faculty of Business and Law on personal and interpersonal skills 181 APPENDIX 3 Letter to graduates from the Faculty of Business and Law to participate in the personal and interpersonal skills survey 184 APPENDIX 4 Survey of graduates from the Faculty of Business and Law on personal and interpersonal skills 186 APPENDIX 5 Interview matrix for graduates, lecturers and employers 190 APPENDIX 6 Letter to employers to participate in an interview 195 APPENDIX 7 Personal and interpersonal skills list 197 APPENDIX 8 Informed consent document for lecturers 200 APPENDIX 9 Informed consent document for graduates 202 APPENDIX 10 Informed consent document for employers 204 REFERENCE LIST 206 vii

9 Joyce, W. B. 1999, On the Free-Rider Problem in Cooperative Learning, Journal of Education for Business, vol. 74, no. 5, pp Karpin, D. 1995a, Enterprising Nation, Renewing Australia s Managers to Meet the Challenges of the Asia-Pacific Century, Research Report, Volume 1, Industry Taskforce on Leadership and Management Skills, April, AGPS, Canberra. Karpin, D. 1995b, Findings of the Industry Task Force on Leadership and Management Skills, Australian Quality Council (AQC) 8 th National Quality Management Conference, 9-11 April, Sydney, pp Kelly, M., Davey, H. & Haigh, N. 1999, Contemporary Accounting Education and Society, Accounting Education, vol. 8, no. 4, pp Kember, D. 1999, Integrating part-time study with family, work and social obligations, Studies in Higher Education, vol. 24, no. 1, pp Kemmis, S. & McTaggart, R. 1990, The action research planner, Third Edition, Deakin University, Victoria. Kempner, T. D. 1978, A Social Interactional Theory of Emotion, Wiley, cited in Birkett, W. P. 1993, Competency Based Standards for Professional Accountants in Australia and New Zealand, ASCPA/ICAA/NZSA. Kestigan, M. 1992, Changing Horizons: Accounting in the Future, Australian Accountant, September, vol. 62, no. 8, pp Klein, J. 1956, The Study of Groups, Routledge, cited by Abercrombie, M. L. J. 1986, Small groups, in Bligh, D. (ed), Teach Thinking by Discussion, Open University Press and Society for Research into Higher Education & NFER-NELSON, Guildford, Surrey. Kloot, L. 1996, Looping the Loop: New Directions for the Learning Organisation, Australian Accountant, vol. 66, no. 6, pp Kloot, L. & Martin, J. 2001, Local Government Accountability: Explaining Differences, Accounting, Accountability and Performance, vol. 7, no. 1, pp Kohlberg, L. 1984, Psychology of Moral Development: the nature and validity of moral stages, Harper and Row, cited in Birkett, W. P. 1993, Competency Based Standards for Professional Accountants in Australia and New Zealand, ASCPA/ICAA/NZSA. Koutsoukis, J. 2000, Graduates unfit for jobs: survey, The Age, 9 February, p. 11. Langfield-Smith, K., Thorne, H. & Hilton, R. 1995, Management Accounting: An Australian Perspective, McGraw-Hill, Sydney. Lawson, R. B. & Shen, Z. 1998, Organisational Psychology Foundations and Applications, Oxford University Press, New York. 213

10 Lee, D. W. & Blaszczynski, C. 1999, Perspectives of Fortune 500 executives on the competency requirements for accounting graduates, Journal of Education for Business, Nov/Dec, vol. 75, no. 2, pp Lincoln, Y. S. & Guba, E. G. 1985, Naturalistic Inquiry, Sage Publications, Newbury Park. Lipe, M. G. & Salterio, S. E. 2000, The Balanced Scorecard: judgemental effects of common and unique performance measures, The Accounting Review, vol. 75, no. 3, pp Lowry, J. & Yap, C. 1997, Management Accounting: What Skills?, Australian Accountant, March, pp Lucas, R. & Lammont, N. 1998, Combining Work and Study: an empirical study of full-time students in school, college and university, Journal of Education for Work, vol. 11, no. 1, pp Macve, R. 1992, The plight of accounting education in Australia: a sense of déjà vu, Accounting Education, vol. 1, no. 2, pp Maltby, F., Gage, N. L. & Berliner, D. C. 1995, Education Psychology An Australian and New Zealand Perspective, John Wiley, Brisbane. Manis, M. 1966, Cognitive Processes, Brooks/Cole Publishing Company, Belmont, California. Mathews, M. R. 1995, An Analysis of the Accounting Education Change Commission, Working Paper, 9-12 July Internalisation of Accounting, AAANZ Conference, Melbourne. Mathews, R. 1990, Accounting in Higher Education, Report of the Review of the Accounting Discipline in Higher Education, pp , AGPS, Canberra. Maykut, P. & Moorehouse, R. 1994, Beginning Qualitative Research. A Philosophical and Practical Guide, The Falmer Press, London. McInnis, C. & Hartley, R. 2002, Managing Study and Work: The impact of full-time study and paid work on the undergraduate experience in Australian universities, 02/06, Evaluations and Investigations Programme, Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST), Commonwealth of Australia. Medlin, J., Graves, C. & McGowan, S. 2003, Using Diverse Professional Teams and a Graduate Qualities Framework to Develop Generic Skills within a Commerce Degree, Innovations in Education and Teaching International, vol. 40, no. 1, pp

11 Mentkowski, M., O Brien, K., McEachern, W. & Fowler, D. 1982, Developing a professional competence model for management education, Research Report No. 10, Milwaukee, Alverno College, cited in Deppe, L. A., Sonderegger, E. O., Stice, J. D., Clark, D. C. & Streuling, G. F. 1991, Emerging Competencies for the Practice of Accountancy, Journal of Accounting Education, vol. 9, pp Messmer, M. 1994, Accounting in the 21 st century, New Accountant, January, vol. 9, no. 4, pp Miles, M. & Huberman, A. 1994, Qualitative Data Analysis. An Expanded Sourcebook, Second Edition, Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks. Miller, T. 2003, Personal communication 14/03/03, Faculty of Business and Law, Cooperative Education Unit, Victoria University. Minichiello, V., Aroni, R., Timewell, E. & Alexander, L. 1995, In-Depth Interviewing Principles, Techniques, Analysis, Second Edition, Longman, Melbourne. Mintzberg, H. 1973, The Nature of Managerial Work, Harper and Row, cited in Birkett, W. P. 1993, Competency Based Standards for Professional Accountants in Australia and New Zealand, ASCPA/ICAA/NZSA. Morgan, G. J. 1997, Communication skills required by accounting graduates: practitioner and academic perceptions, Accounting Education, vol. 6, no. 2, pp Morris, C. G. 1990, Contemporary Psychology and Effective Behaviour, 7 th edition, Scott, Foresman/Little, Brown Higher Education, Glenview, Illinois. Myyry, L. & Helkama, K. 2001, University students value priorities and emotional empathy, Education Psychology, vol. 21, no. 1, pp Nabi, G. R. & Bagley, D. 1999, Graduates Perceptions of Transferable Personal Skills and Future Career Preparation in the UK, Education + Training, vol. 41, no. 4, pp Nathan, S. & Dunn, K. A. 1997, Business press articles and higher level learning skills in accounting courses, Education + Training, vol. 39, no. 5, pp National Board of Employment, Education and Training (NBEET) 1996, Lifelong learning key issues, January, Canberra. Neimark, M. K. 1996, Caught in the squeeze: an essay on higher education in accounting, Critical Perspectives on Accounting, (UK), Feb/Apr, vol. 7, no. 1, pp Nelson, B. 2003, Our universities: backing Australia s future (commonly referred to Crossroads ), Department of Education, Science and Training, May, Canberra, 215

12 Novin, A. M. & Pearson, M. A. 1989, Non-Accounting Knowledge Qualifications for Entry Level Public Accountants, The Ohio CPA Journal, Winter, pp Perspectives on Education: Capabilities for success in the accounting profession, 1989, Arthur Anderson & Co., Arthur Young, Coopers & Lybrand, Deloitte Haskins & Sells, Ernst & Whinney, Peat Markwick Main & Co., Price Waterhouse, and Touche Ross, New York, cited in Deppe, L. A., Sonderegger, E. O., Stice, J. D., Clark, D. C. & Streuling, G. F. 1991, Emerging Competencies for the Practice of Accountancy, Journal of Accounting Education, vol. 9, pp Piaget, J. 1970, The Stages of the Intellectual Development of the Child, in Mussen, P. H., Conger, J.J. & Kagen, J. (eds), Readings in Child Development and Personality, Harper and Row, cited in Birkett, W. P. 1993, Competency Based Standards for Professional Accountants in Australia and New Zealand, ASCPA/ICAA/NZSA. Porter, J. A. 1997, Writing skills of new accounting hires: the message is mixed, The Tax Advisor, August, vol. 28, no. 8, pp Potts, D. 1986, Paired learning: a workshop approach to a humanities course, in Bligh, D. (ed), Teach Thinking by Discussion, Open University Press, Society for Research into Higher Education and NFER-NELSON, Guildford, Surrey. Punch, K. F. 1998, Introduction to social research: quantitative and qualitative approaches, Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, California. Rahim, M. A. 1992, Managing Conflict in Organisations, 2 nd edition, Westport CT Praeger cited in Lawson, R. B. & Shen, Z. 1998, Organisational Psychology Foundations and Applications, Oxford University Press, New York. Rebele, J. E. 2002, Accounting education s uncertain environments: descriptions and implications for accounting programmes and accounting education research, Accounting Education, vol. 11, no. 1, pp Rebele, J. E., Apostolou, B. A., Buckless, F. A., Hassell, J. M., Paquette, L. R. & Stout, D. E. 1998, Accounting education literature review part I: curriculum and instructional approaches, Journal of Accounting Education, vol. 16, no. 1, pp Rebele, J. E., Stout, D. E. & Hassell, J. M. 1991, A review of empirical research in accounting education: , Journal of Accounting Education, vol. 9, no. 2, pp Reinstein, A. & Trebby, J. P. 1997, How accounting educators can help improve their students writing skills, Journal of Education for Business, Nov/Dec, vol. 73, no. 2, pp Ruh, L. & Theuri, P. M. 2002, Enhancing accounting students accounting education through co-ops with accountants, National Public Accountant, vol. 47, no. 2, pp

13 Scheiwe, D Accreditation Anomalies, Australian Accountant, vol. 62, no. 4, pp Schwab, J. J. 1973, The Practical 3: Translation into Curriculum, Schools Review, vol. 81, no. 4, pp Schwandt, T. A. 1994, Constructivist, interpretivist approaches to human enquiry, in Denzin, N. K. & Lincoln, Y. S., (eds) Handbook of Qualitative Research, Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks. Senior, B. 1980, The Open University Degree and Independent Studies, Teaching at a Distance, Open University, vol. 8, cited in Wright, J. 1982, Learning to Learn in Higher Education, Croom Helm, London. Shimeld, S. & Smith, G. 2000, The Perception Gap : Employers and accounting students perceptions of future employment and professional studies, Paper presented at the 22 nd Annual Congress, European Accounting Association, April, Munich. Simyar, F. 1993, cited in Adler, R. W. & Milne, M. J. 1995, New Zealand s Accounting Education Gap: Some Evidence on the Absence of Process-Orientated Learning Methods in Tertiary Accounting Programmes, Working Paper, 9-12 July, Internalisation of Accounting, AAANZ Conference, Melbourne. Smith, M. 1999, Personality issues and their impact on accounting and auditing, Managerial Auditing Journal, vol. 14, no. 9, pp Smyth, J. 1989, Collegiality as a Counter Discourse to the Intrusion of Corporate Management into Higher Education, Journal of Tertiary Educational Administration, October, vol. 11, no. 2, pp Sneed, J. & Morgan, D. A. 1999, Evaluating the Verbal, Quantitative and Problem- Solving Skills of Students Entering the Accounting Curriculum, Management Research News, vol. 22, no. 4, pp Stark, J. & Lowther, M. 1988, Strengthening the ties that bind, Ann Arbor, University of Michigan, cited in Deppe, L. A., Sonderegger, E. O., Stice, J. D., Clark, D. C. & Streuling, G. F. 1991, Emerging Competencies for the Practice of Accountancy, Journal of Accounting Education, vol. 9, pp Steil, L. K., Barker, L. L. & Watson, K. W. 1983, Effective listening: Key to success, Addison-Wesley, Boston, cited in Bostrom, R. N. 1996, Memory Cognitive Processing, and the Process of Listening : A reply to Thomas and Levine, Human Communication Research, December, vol. 23, no. 2, pp Stowers, R. H & White, G. T. 1999, Connecting Accounting and Communication: A Survey of Public Accounting Firms, Business Communication Quarterly, vol. 62, no. 2, June, pp

14 Tanner, J. R., Totaro, M. W. & Wilson, T. E. 1998, Accounting Educators Perceptions of Accounting Students Preparation and Skills: A 10 Year Update, Journal of Education for Business, vol. 74, no. 1, pp Tanyel, F., Mitchell, M. A. & McAlum, H. G. 1999, The skill set for success of new business school graduates: do prospective employers and university faculty agree?, Journal of Education for Business, vol. 75, no. 5, pp Tashakkori, A. & Teddlie, C. 1998, Mixed Methodology: Combining Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches, Applied Social Research Methods Series, Volume 46, Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks. Tempone, I. & Martin, E. 2003, Iteration between theory and practice as a pathway to developing generic skills in accounting, Accounting Education, vol. 12, no. 3, September, pp Thompson, F. T., Grandgenett, D. J. & Grandgenett, N. 1999, Helping Disadvantaged Learners Build Effective Listening Skills, Education, vol. 120, no. 1, pp Tippett, M. 1992, The plight of accounting education in Australia: a review article, Accounting Education, vol. 1, no. 2, pp Ulinski, M. & O Callaghan, S. 2002, A comparison of MBA students and employers perceptions of the value of oral communication skills for employment, Journal of Education for Business, March/April, vol. 77, no. 4, pp Usoff, C. & Feldmann, D. 1998, Accounting Students Perceptions of Important Skills for Career Success, Journal of Education for Business, vol. 73, no. 4, pp Vander, Z. J. W. & Pace, A. J. 1984, Education Psychology: theory and practice, Random House, New York. Walker, D. 1990, Fundamentals of Curriculum, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, New York, cited in Mathews, M. R. 1995, An Analysis of the Accounting Education Change Commission, Working Paper, 9-12 July, Internalisation of Accounting, AAANZ Conference, Melbourne. Watts, C. & Pickering, A. 2000, Pay as you learn: student employment and academic progress, Education + Training, vol. 42, no. 3, pp Watty, K. & Cahill, D. 1998, A Stake-holder Perspective of Quality in Accounting Education: Employers, Academics and Students, Submitted presentation at the 10 th Asian-Pacific Conference on International Accounting Issues, October, Maui. Watty, K., Cahill, D. & Cooper, B. J. 1998, Graduate Attributes: Perceptions of Accounting Academics, Asian Review of Accounting, vol. 6, no. 1, pp

15 Weil, S., Oyelere, P., Yeoh, J. & Firer, C. 2001, A study of students perceptions of the usefulness of case studies for the development of finance and accounting-related skills and knowledge, Accounting Education, June, vol. 10, no. 2, pp Weybrew, B. B. 1992, The ABC s of Stress A Submarine Psychologist s Perspective, Praeger, Westport, Connecticut. Whitefield, D. 1994, An Analysis of the Relationship of Academic Achievement in Examinations and the Learning Style Preferences of Design and Structure of Second Year Accounting Students, Unpublished Masters Project, Department of Accountancy and Law, Victoria University of Technology. Whittle, S. R. & Eaton, D. G. M. 2001, Attitudes towards transferable skills in medical undergraduates, Medical Education, vol. 35, no. 2, Feb, pp Williams, D. Z. 1996, Implementing change in accounting education, Journal of Accounting Education, (UK), Summer, vol. 14, no. 2, pp Wilson, R. M. S. & Hill, A. P. 1994, Learning styles - a literature guide, Accounting Education, vol. 3, no. 4, pp Yin, R. K. 1994, Case Study Research: Design and Methods, Second Edition, Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks. Zaid, O. A. & Abraham, A. 1994, Communication skills in accounting education: perceptions of academics, employers and graduate accountants, Accounting Education, vol. 3, no. 3, pp