Communication skills are a fundamental personal competency for a successful career in accounting. What is not so obvious is the specific written communication skill set employers look for and the extent those skills are computer mediated. Using survey research, this article explores the particular skills employers desire and their satisfaction level with new hires. Results indicate that basic writing mechanics are the skills in highest demand, followed by effective documentation. Except for email proficiency, employers do not consider computer-mediated communication competencies as important as traditional business communication skills. The article concludes with curricular implications for accounting communication.
AlbrechtW. S.SackR. J. (2000). Accounting education: Charting the course through a perilous future. Sarasota, FL: American Accounting Association.
2.
American Accounting Association Committee on the Future Structure, Content, and Scope of Accounting Education. (1986). Future accounting education: Preparing for the expanding profession. Issues in Accounting Education, 1(1), 168-195.
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. (2009). Content and skill specifications for the uniform CPA examination. Ewing, NJ: Author.
5.
BeasonL. (2001). Ethos and error: How business people react to errors. College Composition and Communication, 53(1), 33-64.
6.
ChiurriM.VaraksinaA. (2006). End of the myth: CPAs do have to write. The CPA Journal, 76(5), 10-11.
7.
ChristensenD. S.ReesD. (2002, Fall). An analysis of the business communication skills needed by entry-level accountants. Mountain Plains Journal of Business and Economics, 1-13.
8.
CohenJ. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
9.
De LangeP.JacklingB.GutA.-M. (2006). Accounting graduates’ perceptions of skills emphasis in undergraduate courses: An investigation from two Victorian universities. Accounting and Finance, 46, 365-386.
10.
Dupin-BryantP. A. (2004). Enhancing collaboration in business information systems courses with computer-mediated communication. Issues in Information Systems, V(1), 110-116.
FranciscoB.KellyA. (2002). Beyond Albrecht and Sack: A comparison of accounting professionals and college students. Manuscript in preparation.
13.
GlassmanM.FarleyE. A. (1979). AACSB accredited schools’ approach to business communication courses. Journal of Business Communication, 16(3), 41-48.
14.
HancockP.HowiesonB.KavanaghM.KentJ.TemponeI.SegalN. (2009). Accounting for the future: More than numbers. A collaborative investigation into the changing skill set for professional accounting graduates over the next ten years and strategies for embedding such skills into professional accounting programs. Strawberry Hills, New South Wales, Australia: Learning and Teaching Council.
15.
IngramR. W.FrazierC. R. (1980). Developing communication skills for the accounting profession. Sarasota, FL: American Accounting Association.
16.
International Accounting Education Standards Board. (2010). Handbook of international education pronouncements 2010 edition. New York, NY: International Federation of Accountants.
17.
JanvrinD.BierstakerJ.LoweD. J. (2008). An examination of audit information technology usage and perceived importance. Accounting Horizons, 22(1), 1-21.
18.
JohnsonS.SchmidtB.TeeterS.HenageR. (2008). Using the Albrecht and Sack study to guide curriculum decisions. Advances in Accounting Education: Teaching and Curriculum Innovations, 9, 251-266.
19.
LasterN. M.RussT. L. (2010). Looking across the divide: Analyzing cross-disciplinary approaches for teaching business communication. Business Communication Quarterly, 73, 248-264.
20.
LinI. F.SchaefferN. C. (1995). Using survey participants to estimate the impact of nonparticipation. Public Opinion Quarterly, 59, 236-258.
21.
LinJ. Z.XiongX.LiuM. (2005). Knowledge base and skill development in accounting education: Evidence from China. Journal of Accounting Education, 23(3), 149-169.
22.
LundbladH.WilsonB. A. (2008). A unique sequence of financial accounting courses featuring team teaching, linked courses, challenging assignments, and instruments for evaluation and assessment. College Teaching Methods & Styles Journal, 4(1), 87-98.
23.
MarshallB. A.CardonP. W.NorrisD. T.GorevaN.D’SouzaR. (2008). Social networking websites in India and the United States: A cross-national comparison of online privacy and communication. Issues in Information Systems, IX(2), 87-94.
24.
MayC. B.MayG. S. (2009). Effective writing: A handbook for accountants (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice-Hall.
OberS. (1987). The status of postsecondary business communication instruction: 1986 vs. 1982. Journal of Business Communication, 24(3), 49-60.
27.
OberS.WunschA. P. (1995). The status of postsecondary business communication instruction in the United States: 1994 report. Delta Pi Epsilon Journal, 37, 225-239.
28.
PierreE. K. (1996). Accounting education and 150-hour programs: A critical perspective. Journal of Accounting Education, 14(2), 141-148.
29.
RosenthalJ. A. (1996). Qualitative descriptors of strength of association and effect size. Journal of Social Service Research, 21(4), 37-59.
30.
RussT. L. (2009). The status of the business communication course at U.S. colleges and universities. Business Communication Quarterly, 72, 395-413.
31.
SharifiM.McCombsG. B.FraserL. L.McCabeR. V. (2009). Structuring a competency-based accounting communication course at the graduate level. Business Communication Quarterly, 72, 177-199.
32.
StowersR. H.WhiteG. T. (1999). Connecting accounting and communication: A survey of public accounting firms. Business Communication Quarterly, 62(2), 23-40.
33.
WardropeW. J.BaylessM. L. (1999). Content of the business communication course: An analysis of the coverage. Business Communication Quarterly, 62(4), 33-40.
34.
WarnerK. (1995). Business communication competencies needed by employees as perceived by business faculty and business professionals. Business Communication Quarterly, 58(4), 51-56.
