A Review of Scholarly Discourses on Accounting Technical Skills for IR 4.0

Abstract

With advancements in information technology and large-scale globalization of economies in the previous decade, the working landscape of professional accountants has changed. This study looked into how academia should react to the demand from the industry that graduates in accounting have higher-level technological skills applicable to an IR 4.0 workplace. The study performed a cross-sectional analysis of scholarly discourses in journal editorials and commentary sections. The first finding showed that Big Data and Disruptive Technologies could change the structure of the finance department from pyramidal to either diamond or pillar-shaped. Secondly, accounting graduates need technical skills in information systems, data analytics, and associated software tools. Lastly, it is recommended that Advanced Data Analytics course should be taught to university accounting students so that they are able to interpret other departments’ data science results. This study contributes to the perceived gap in the accounting curriculum as reported in professional and scholarly publications.