LOG BOOK AND REFLECTIVE REPORT GUIDANCE

Globalisation



Globalisation

“(Accounting) is the language of business. A lot of people think it's just numbers, but it's really a lot more than that. There are a lot of areas outside of numbers that need to be looked at, processes and procedures, what the tone of the company is. Accounting will take you in just about any direction in a company.” ~ Wade Becker, CPA, Beard, Miller Co. (Burger, 2008)

Businesses are changing and with them so are the beliefs about job descriptions and the related skills needed to perform these jobs. Information Technology (IT) professionals, once left alone to “just make the computers work” are now moving into cross-functional and higher level management positions which require them to translate “tech speak” into terms and descriptions that members from all departments in an organization can understand. The stereotypical role of the accountant characterized as merely an introverted “numbers person” must be replaced with the understanding that today's accounting professionals are required to possess and use interpersonal and communication skills to help with the decision making processes across all functional areas of the accounting discipline and business. Today's accountant, especially within the managerial accounting realm, must clearly communicate their ideas and financial data to others within the company many of whom are non-accountants and/or non-financial people in ways that are tactful and effective. Management accountants are now required to be “The Great Communicators.” (Siegel, 2000)

Potential accounting students must become aware of the importance and need for development of communication skills. At least initially, students who are attracted to the field of accounting may incorrectly believe that these skills are not as important as traditionally recognized technical and mathematical skills. Additionally, according to surveys taken in both 1998 and 2006, it appears that accounting majors have a higher than normal fear of communication although it seems that these worries are less than they have been in the past. (Ameen, Bruns and Jackson, 2010) Contrary to the beliefs entering accounting students may have, many studies support the notion that practicing accounting professionals recognize communication skills as being very important. One such study focused on recent Cal Poly Pomona accountancy graduates (professionals having graduated within the previous two years of the study): results received from these respondents working in the field of public accounting rated the importance of verbal communication skills a 2 on a scale of 1 (most important) to 5 (least important). Additionally, the importance of possessing both verbal and written communication scored a rating of 2 by responding graduates working in private industry. (Ahadiat, 1999) In another study, conducted by Krzystofik and Fein in 1988, responses from employment recruiters representing CPA firms place communication skills as the most important factor that determines whether a potential applicant will be invited to the firm for an office interview or not. (Smythe, Nikolai, 1996) Practitioners in the field of accounting also rank communication skills as being very important when it comes time for ...