Performance of newly employed trainee accountants in Gauteng, South Africa, versus the skills expectations of employers: How big is the gap?

Abstract

<jats:p> The objective of this article is to determine whether the professional skills demonstrated by newly employed first-year trainee accountants (i.e. their performance) meet the expectations of audit managers and, if they do not, to determine the size of the expectation–performance gap. A questionnaire was used to determine the expectations and the perceptions of the actual capabilities of trainee accountants among South African audit managers at large audit firms in Gauteng. The findings revealed that newly employed first-year trainee accountants did not meet audit managers’ expectations, with their expectations always exceeding their perceptions of performance. The professional skill with the largest expectation–performance gap was the ability to take responsibility for one’s own development (37.9%) and that with the smallest gap was the ability to display honesty and integrity (9.4%). </jats:p>

Relational and decision-making skills development in South African accounting students

“…The transition from university to the working environment for aspirant CA(SA)s has been a continuous discussion point of late (Barac and Du Plessis, 2014; Keevy and Mare, 2018; Kunz and De Jager, 2019; Ghani and Suryani, 2020; Lansdell et al, 2020). These discussions do not center on students’ technical capabilities, but rather their non-technical development i.e., professional skills.…”

“…The training programme typically spans 3 years and provides aspirant CA(SA)s 2 with practical experience, and the opportunity to further develop their professional skills and competencies. Studies have found that relational and decision-making (RDM) skills of aspirant CA(SA)s are seemingly insufficiently developed during the academic programme, and as a result, students are deemed not ‘work-ready’ (Kunz and De Jager, 2019; Webb and Chaffer, 2016). Accounting bodies and employers are negatively affected by deficiencies in aspirant CA(SA)s’ professional skills, which may have detrimental consequences within the South African financial sector.…”

“…Academic literature on RDM skills is rich within the South African context (Villiers and Viviers, 2018; Kunz and De Jager, 2019; Keevy, 2020; Lansdell et al, 2020). However, no study has yet investigated trainees’ perceptions of the academic programme’s efficacy in developing RDM skills, as described in the new CF.…”

The IAFOR International Conference on Education – Hawaii 2023 Official Conference Proceedings

“…Such rapid changes require new graduates to arrive prepared for work, with 21st-century skills and competencies to meet these challenges (Makulova et al, 2015). However, research from around the world reveals that employers across various industries perceive a significant gap between their expectations and graduate performance (Abbas & Sagsan, 2019;Kunz & de Jager, 2019;Triyono et al, 2018). To address this problem employers, educators, and students agree that the lack of 21st-century skills may be augmented through participation in various extracurricular activities (ECAs) (Nuijten et al, 2017;Pinto & Ramalheira, 2017).…”

Pervasive skills and accounting graduates' employment prospects: Are South African employers calling for pervasive skills when recruiting?

“…The SAICA 2009 Competency Framework indicated that "entry-level chartered accountants are required to display the highest proficiency in pervasive skills" (as quoted in SAICA, 2010, p. 19) and identified skills such as ethical behaviour, professionalism, personal attributes, and professional skills that aspiring chartered accountants should possess prior to entry into the profession (SAICA, 2017). However, employers have raised concerns about the employment readiness of accounting graduates, linked to their lack of pervasive skills (Kunz & de Jager, 2019;Schulz, 2008); a gap between what they prefer and what graduates possess, suggesting a misalignment. Evidence has suggested that students face challenges with applying theoretical knowledge obtained at university to practical workplace scenarios (Tempone et al, 2012), and are unable to adapt to the workplace because of their poor command of pervasive skills (Wye & Lim, 2009).…”