The constantly progressing world of economics and its subfields, respectively, require novel ideas and techniques to be acquired by future professionals. At the same time, extensive experience is mandatory for the new strategies to be developed efficiently. In that way, the interaction of accounting students and experienced professionals is an essential step in optimizing accounting procedures. Still, several studies have outlined an existing gap between the two accounting categories, including the differing values and expectations (Dolce et al., 2019). The evident presence of the gap highlights the importance of reviewing and discussing the reasons behind its prominence in the modern field of accounting.
Primarily, an outline of the main variations of the gap will provide a foundation to judge the reasons for its appearance. One study by Dolce et al. (2019) aimed to investigate any possible differences between accounting graduates’ perceptions and employers’ expectations in the cases of prior work experience and essential skills (Dolce et al., 2019). Through a questionnaire, the researchers received the expected results. While the graduates prioritized task orientation, ambition, self-awareness, and interpersonal relationships, they neglected other specific skills that the employers viewed positively (Dolce et al., 2019). The following results of the study demonstrate the graduates’ overall preference for individual self-oriented values and the employers’ appreciation of task-specific skills.
The discussed study can additionally be reviewed to explain the expectations gap. In that way, the differences arise from the the students’ and employers’ contrasting educational backgrounds and the evident prior experience of the latter. The historical and national aspects must also be considered in the way they influenced the mentality and work expectations of accountants. Nowadays, one’s character and personal ambitions are just as essential, if not more than solely their working ability and general productivity.
Furthermore, another study highlighted another reason for the same value contrasts. According to Naynar et al. (2018), a perception gap exists due to the lack of or minimal available knowledge regarding shared expectations and perceptions of necessary skills (Naynar et al., 2018). Hence, companies must put more emphasis on their own expectations to avoid future misunderstandings with their employees. At the same time, ambitious graduates must share their commitment to their own and the company’s values.
Other reviews on the topic also provided alternative variations of the accounting students’ and professionals’ expectations. Aryanti & Adhariani (2020) studied the following gap between accounting students and employers through over 100 questionnaires (Aryanti & Adhariani, 2020). The results presented contrasting beliefs concerning perceptions of honesty, continuous learning, work ethics, teamwork, and time management (Aryanti & Adhariani, 2020). Once again, the students demonstrated a preference for individualistic traits, while professional accountants highlighted the necessity to improve work-specific skills. The study explains the presence of an expectation gap as a consequence of insufficient university curriculum, especially the practical parts.
Moreover, another investigation of a series of graduate employability skills highlighted a similar tendency. Abbasi et al. (2018) set up a questionnaire that involved employers ranking their employee’s skills and describing the 12 most essential employability skills (Abbasi et al., 2018). Analysis of the results demonstrated an incomplete connection between the expected and realistic standards for employed accounting graduates (Abbasi et al., 2018). In that way, the researchers referred to employees’ severe skills gaps due to managers’ unclear expectations and impractical educational curriculums. While this study focused on banking systems, the conclusion can be relevant for any particular economic field, including accounting.
Next, the student’s attitude towards the expectations gap is far less critical compared to the views of the professionals. Lisá et al. (2019) found the expected low satisfaction rates of the current graduates’ skills expressed by the employers (Lisá et al. 2019). At the same time, the students themselves were more satisfied with the execution of most presented skills, only prioritizing three more capabilities than the professionals (Lisá et al., 2019). This phenomenon can be explained by the two schools of thought resulting from the mentioned distinct educational backgrounds.
Finally, the ways of improving the expectation gap must be discussed as well. Many researchers have highlighted the role of higher education systems in increasing the practical set of skills for its students (Karunaratne & Perera, 2019). Internships and similar programs offered by universities are the central methods of providing the necessary practical knowledge for graduates. Such programs allow future employees to improve their teamwork, research skills, motivation, and other key abilities prioritized by companies (Karunaratne & Perera, 2019). Hence, although various expectation gaps still prevail, there are effective strategies of narrowing them.
In conclusion, it is essential to briefly outline the main reasons for the expectations gap between accounting students and professionals, as well as the suggested strategy for its improvement. First of all, the main idea of the gap is based on higher expectations of employers and alternative priorities of the students. Secondly, the educational background and years of accounting experience directly impact one’s competency. While most employees remain hopeful for the graduate’s work ethic improvement, researchers suggest revising the university curriculum and adding practical programs. In that way, accounting students will be able to acquire the necessary skills without compromising their own knowledge and values.
References
Abbasi, F. K., Ali, A., & Bibi, N. (2018). Analysis of skill gap for business graduates: a managerial perspective from the banking industry. Education and Training, 60(4), 354-367. Web.
Aryanti, C., & Adhariani, D. (2020). Students’ perceptions and expectation gap on the skills and knowledge of accounting graduates. The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics, and Business, 7(9), 649-657. Web.
Dolce, V., Emanuel, F., Cisi, M., & Ghislieri, C. (2020). The soft skills of accounting graduates: Perceptions versus expectations. Accounting Education, 29(1), 57-76. Web.
Karunaratne, K., & Perera, N. (2019). Students’ perception on the effectiveness of industrial internship program. Education Quarterly Reviews, 2(4).
Lisá, E., Hennelová, K., & Newman, D. (2019). Comparison between employers’ and students’ expectations in respect of employability skills of university graduates. International Journal of Work-Integrated Learning, 20(1), 71-82.
Naynar, N. R., Ram, A. J., & Maroun, W. (2018). Expectation gap between preparers and stakeholders in integrated reporting. Meditari Accountancy Research,26(2), 241-262. Web.