Technology in Accounting: A qualitative study of undergraduate preparedness

Throughout history, technology has had a major impact on every profession and how certain tasks are performed. In recent years, technology has accelerated at an astonishing rate causing a total shift in the valuable skillsets of young professionals. Accounting is no exception to this shift and, as technology continues to advance, emerging accounting professionals will no longer be expected to enter the workforce only with basic pen-and-paper accounting knowledge. Instead, they will also be expected to possess analytical skills and be prepared to apply and learn the newest technology on the market. However, the traditional accounting curriculum does not focus on technological skills. Rather, it focuses on the basics of accounting, theory, and manual journal entries. Although these basics are certainly fundamental to accounting knowledge they are no longer the most important skills in an accountants repertoire. This raises the following question: are accounting programs adequately preparing graduates to use technological skill in the workplace once they graduate? This research paper seeks to answer that question through a qualitative study of recent Tennessee accounting undergraduates