THE 21st CENTURY SKILLS AFFECTING THE PERFORMANCE QUALITY OF ACCOUNTANTS
Keywords:
21st-century skills, Performance Quality, AccountantsAbstract
The objectives of this research are 1) to study the level of accountants’ 21st-century skills, and 2) to investigate the influence of 21st-century skills on the performance quality of accountants by quantitative research methodology. A questionnaire was used to collect data from accountants of accounting firms in the upper northern region of Thailand. A sample size of 265 participants was determined using Krejcie and Morgan's random sampling table at a confidence level of 95 percent and selected using stratified random sampling and proportional sampling. Data were analyzed using statistical analysis including frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation, and multiple regression analysis.
The research results found that 1) the level of accountants’ 21st century skills is at a high level (M=3.66, SD=0.71), 2) 21st-century skills have a statistically significant influence on the performance quality of accountants and together they predicted the accountants’ performance quality of 88.8 percent (APQ = .229TEC + .141COM + .178ANA + .116ADA + .118BUS + .156STR + .074MUL + .110CRE). The findings can provide insights into the importance of these skills in improving the performance quality of accountants in a rapidly evolving business landscape. of the 21st century.
References
AICPA. (2018). CPA Horizons 2025: Technology impacts on the profession. American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Retrieved on June 26, 2023, from https://www.aicpa. org/interestareas/futureoflearning/resources/cpahorizons2025.html
AICPA. (2019). Future of Learning: The Possibilities. American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Retrieved on June 26, 2023, from https://www.aicpa.org/interestareas/ futureoflearning.html
Alles, M.; Brennan, G.; Kogan, A. and Vasarhelyi, M. (2018). Continuous auditing and continuous monitoring: The state of the art, and a call for research. Journal of Accounting Research, 56(5), 1377-1406.
Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. (2019). The essential skills for accountants. Retrieved on May 30, 2023, from https://www.aicpa.org/content/dam/ aicpa/career/students/careersinaccounting/downloadabledocuments/essential-skills-accountants.pdf
Bhasin, H. (2019). The top 5 skills every accountant needs in the 21st century. Forbes. Retrieved on May 30, 2023, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2019/05/ 08/the-top-5-skills-every-accountant-needs-in-the-21st-century/?sh=41e9e9a72b22
Cronbach, L. J. (1951). Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests. Psychometrika, 16(3), 297-334.
Deloitte. (2020). The top 10 skills for accounting and finance professionals in the 21st century. Deloitte Insights. Retrieved on May 30, 2023, from https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/ insights/industry/ financial-services/accounting-finance-skills-21st-century.html
Gallo, A. (2019). The role of communication in accounting. Journal of Accounting Education, 47, 1-9.
Hambleton, R. K. (1984). Validating the test scores. In R. A. Berk. (Ed). A guide to criterion-referenced test construction. (199–223). Baltimore and London: The Johns Hopkins University Press.
IFAC. (2016). Professional Accountants–The Future: Drivers of Change and Future Skills. International Federation of Accountants. Retrieved on May 30, 2023, from https://www. ifac.org/global-knowledge-gateway/professional-accountancy-education-development/ resources/professional
IFAC. (2018). Professional Accountants in Business: Leveraging Technology and Innovation. International Federation of Accountants. Retrieved on May 30, 2023, from https://www. ifac.org/system/files/publications/files/PAIB-Technology-Innovation.pdf
Jaafar, S.; Sultanah, T. and Bahiyah P. (2018). Are Soft Skills Required for Accounting Students in Future Careers. SSRN Electronic Journal, Retrieved on May 30, 2023, from DOI: 10. 2139/ssrn.3167595
Krejcie, R. and Morgan. D. (1970). Determining Sample Size for Research Activities. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 30(3), 607–610.
Thornton, G. (2020). 21st-century skills for accounting professionals. Retrieved on May 30, 2023, from https://www.grantthornton.com/insights/21st-century-skills-for-accounting-professionals/
Tysiac, K. (2019). Building a data-driven accounting department. Journal of Accountancy, 227(2), 20-24.