Investigating Accountants' Resistance to Move beyond Excel and Adopt New Data Analytics Technology

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 165-180
Author(s):  
Pamela J. Schmidt ◽  
Jennifer Riley ◽  
Kimberly Swanson Church
Keyword(s):  
Data Analytics ◽  
Perceived Value ◽  
Status Quo ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Status Quo Bias ◽  
Accounting Firms ◽  
Call To Action ◽  
Accounting Professionals ◽  
Benefits And Costs ◽  
History Books

SYNOPSIS A call to action has been sounded in accounting: Become a profession utilizing data analytics or become a profession bound for the history books. Accounting firms and corporations are investing in data analytics capabilities, but it is not clear whether accounting professionals are following their lead. Practitioner press indicates accountants resist the move beyond Excel even as organizations hire data scientists rather than accountants. This empirical study uses Status Quo Bias Theory to examine the resistance to data analytics technology by accounting and finance professionals. Surprisingly results indicate the perceived value does not mediate the effect of switching benefits and costs on resistance. Rather, switching benefits and perceived value are aligned as a single factor to reduce resistance while switching costs directly increase resistance. Researchers have focused substantial efforts toward data analytics in education and business. The troubling findings here suggest some accounting professionals resist adopting new analytics technology. JEL Classifications: M41; M49. Data Availability: Contact the authors.

Clinging to Excel as a Security Blanket: Investigating Accountants' Resistance to Emerging Data Analytics Technology

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pamela J. Schmidt ◽  
Kimberly Swanson Church ◽  
Jennifer Riley
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
Data Analytics ◽  
Status Quo ◽  
Status Quo Bias ◽  
Degree Programs ◽  
Wall Street ◽  
Accounting Firms ◽  
Reliable Source ◽  
The Wall Street Journal ◽  
Big Four

ABSTRACT While many business publications stress the importance of data analytics skills and technology, The Wall Street Journal reports strong reactions of accountants faced with a move away from Excel. Accountants are traditionally the reliable source for business information, but that position may be eroded by the emerging profession of data analysts. Looking to the future, Big Four accounting firms stress the need for data analysis skills, and universities are launching degree programs. But what is the reaction of current working professionals? Are they heeding the call for data analytics? Evidence indicates there is some resistance to adoption of data analytics practices. This research proposes the use of Status Quo Bias Theory to investigate the reactions of accounting professionals across the spectrum of accounting sub-disciplines. The study seeks to understand factors that may influence practicing accountants' resistance to adopting new data analysis technologies.

The Factors that Affect Accountants' Decisions to Seek Careers with Big 4 versus Non-Big 4 Accounting Firms

2012 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 239-264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Penelope L. Bagley ◽  
Derek Dalton ◽  
Marc Ortegren
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Control ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Accounting Students ◽  
Perceived Behavioral Control ◽  
Additional Insight ◽  
Accounting Firms ◽  
Accounting Professionals ◽  
Big 4 ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Insight Into

SYNOPSIS Finding qualified accounting staff has consistently been a top issue facing CPA firms. However, little is known about the factors that influence accountants' decisions to seek careers with different types of firms. In our paper, we use Ajzen's (1991) theory of planned behavior to examine the reasons why some accountants seek careers at Big 4 firms, while other accountants seek careers at non-Big 4 firms. We survey accounting students and find that attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control each influence firm-choice decisions. To provide additional insight into our results, we survey accounting professionals from Big 4 and non-Big 4 accounting firms. We find that, overall, students' perceptions, while more limited, are similar to those of accounting professionals. Further, we find that accounting professionals provide a number of insightful comments that offer several important implications for accounting firms. Finally, we assess whether accounting professionals perceive that certain types of accounting students are more likely to succeed at Big 4 versus non-Big 4 firms, and whether recruiting efforts are consistent with these perceptions. Data Availability: Data are available upon request.

An Exploratory Study into the Use of Audit Data Analytics on Audit Engagements

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 75-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aasmund Eilifsen ◽  
Finn Kinserdal ◽  
William F. Messier ◽  
Thomas E. McKee
Keyword(s):  
Institutional Theory ◽  
Professional Practice ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Data Analytics ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Public Accounting ◽  
Accounting Firms ◽  
It Systems ◽  
Audit Data ◽  
Public Accounting Firms

SYNOPSIS This study explores the use of audit data analytics (ADA) in current audit practice. First, we interviewed the heads of professional practice of five international public accounting firms in Norway. We find that they differ in strategies on how to implement ADA and the heads report significant uncertainty about the supervisory inspection authorities' response to the use of ADA. Second, we administered a questionnaire to 216 engagement partners and managers about their perceptions of ADA and their actual ADA use on 109 audit engagements. Overall, the attitudes toward ADA usefulness are positive. Analysis of the audit engagements suggests use of ADA is relatively limited and use of more “advanced” ADA is rare. More ADA are used for clients with integrated ERP/IT systems and for newly tendered audit engagements. We also provide details of ADA use on each phase of the audit. We discuss our findings from an institutional theory perspective. Data Availability: The data used in this study are confidential by agreement with the participants.

Shareholder Wealth Effects of Audit Data Analytics Announcements

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 125-142
Author(s):  
Joung W. Kim ◽  
Jee-Hae Lim ◽  
Kyunghee Yoon
Keyword(s):  
Stock Market ◽  
Abnormal Return ◽  
Data Analytics ◽  
Shareholder Wealth ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Wealth Effects ◽  
The Public ◽  
Audit Data ◽  
Benefits And Costs

SYNOPSIS This study examines stock market data to assess shareholders' responses to 210 audit data analytics (ADA) announcements from the years 2006 to 2018. Because the benefits and costs of ADA are typically intangible, hidden, and long-term oriented, no studies have empirically validated ADA's associated risks and returns. We analyze the abnormal return of each announcing firm's stock within a two-day period around the date when the firm made an announcement, capturing potential improvements in shareholder value. We find that shareholders are favorable about the prospective returns of client firms who adopt less sophisticated ADA and selective ADA, as those firms can easily coordinate and manage ADA implementation. Our findings may help researchers and practitioners understand complex ADA adoption and related issues, while also helping firms maximize the market impact of their ADA adoption strategies. Data Availability: Data are available from the public sources cited in the text.

A Contemporary Analysis of Accounting Professionals' Work-Life Balance

2015 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steve Buchheit ◽  
Derek W. Dalton ◽  
Nancy L. Harp ◽  
Carl W. Hollingsworth
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Support ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Work Life Balance ◽  
Public Accounting ◽  
Important Distinction ◽  
Life Balance ◽  
Accounting Firms ◽  
Accounting Professionals ◽  
Big 4 ◽  
Public Accounting Firms

SYNOPSIS In recent years, work-life balance surpassed compensation as the most important job satisfaction factor among AICPA members (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants [AICPA] 2004). Despite the continued importance of this issue in the accounting profession (AICPA 2011), prior research has not examined work-life balance perceptions across different segments of the profession. We survey 1,063 practicing CPAs in order to assess the comparative work-life balance perceptions across (1) Big 4 versus smaller public accounting firms, (2) audit versus tax functions, and (3) public accounting versus industry work contexts. Consistent with predictions based on institutional logics theory, we find that work-family conflict and job burnout perceptions (our proxies for work-life balance) are highest in the Big 4. We are the first study to measure both support-for and viability-of traditional alternative work arrangements (AWAs), and we report an important distinction between these two constructs. Specifically, while CPAs across all public accounting firms (i.e., Big 4, national, regional, and local firms) report similar levels of organizational support-for AWAs, Big 4 professionals report significantly lower perceived viability-of AWAs (i.e., the ability to use AWAs and remain effective at one's job) compared to accounting professionals at smaller public accounting firms. Further, we find no differences between audit and tax professionals' perceptions across any of our work-life balance measures. We also document nuanced differences regarding work-life balance perceptions in public accounting versus industry. For example, contrary to conventional wisdom, work-life balance is not uniformly “better” in industry (e.g., burnout is actually lower in smaller public accounting firms compared to industry). Finally, we use open-ended responses from a follow-up survey to provide several recommendations for firms to improve their work-life balance efforts.

Audit and Tax Career Paths in Public Accounting: An Analysis of Student and Professional Perceptions

2013 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 213-231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Derek W. Dalton ◽  
Steve Buchheit ◽  
Jeffrey J. McMillan
Keyword(s):  
Business Processes ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Accounting Students ◽  
Daily Routine ◽  
Limited Information ◽  
Student Survey ◽  
Public Accounting ◽  
Accounting Professionals ◽  
Job Opportunities ◽  
Client Relationships

SYNOPSIS Upper-division accounting students frequently direct their public accounting careers toward audit or tax “tracks” based on what appears to be limited information. Surprisingly, prior research has not investigated the factors that affect this fundamentally important career decision. We conduct two surveys to investigate the relevant factors of the audit-tax decision from the perspectives of upper-division accounting students and experienced public accounting professionals. Our student survey documents the underlying factors that influence the audit-tax decision. For example, accounting students who plan to pursue careers in audit believe that they will have more client interaction, better future job opportunities (i.e., industry positions), and greater knowledge of business processes if they work in audit (as opposed to tax). In contrast, accounting students who plan to pursue careers in tax perceive that they will have a more stable daily routine, develop more specialized skills, and build more collaborative client relationships if they work in tax (as opposed to audit). While our public accounting respondents agree with many of the students' perceptions, professionals also disagree with several of the students' perceptions, suggesting misimpressions of practice. Our results should be of interest to the accounting professionals, firm recruiters, and accounting professors who advise future accounting professionals. Data Availability: Data are available upon request.

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