Background Information
Discuss about the Comparison of Practitioners and Educators.
The topic deals with the impact that the accounting software has on the employment rate pertaining to the accountants. The changes in the field of technology have brought about immense changes in the manner a particular business is conducted. Technological changes have taken place in the field of accounting software and this has impacted the process of accounting (Reynolds, pp 211, 2017). The accounting software in the present age can perform multifarious functions like that of data entry and automation of the reports. The accounting software can aid in the process of that of reduction of the errors and how it can help in integrating with that of other systems. The accounting software can help in the process of maintaining of customer accounts and that of inventory count. It can prove to be advantageous in the process of production of the payslips and that of calculation of VAT. The accounting software also has its own share of disadvantages like that of yearly maintenance and the specialist business will have to modify the accounting package so that it can suit their business.The research proposal will delve into the various aspects pertaining to the use of accounting software in an organization. It discusses about its merits and drawbacks in the present age (Robson and McCartan, pp 154, 2016).
The name of the client organization is Wesfarmers. It is an Australian conglomerate that is headquartered in Western Australia and it deals with retail, chemical and fertilizers. The research proposal will elucidate on the impact that the accounting software will bear on the employment rate of the employees in the organization. Wesfarmers originated in the year 1914 as that of the Western Australian Farmer’s Co-operative (Wesfarmers.com.au 2018). It has emerged to become one of the large listed company within Australia. The diverse business operations pertaining to Wesfarmers cover that of supermarket, hotel, home improvement and that of departmental stores. It is a large private sector company that has a shareholder base of around 530,000.
The research proposal will provide the background to the research and it discusses about the matter that is being investigated. It provides an overview pertaining to the client organization and the real world that the research proposal seeks to resolve. It discusses about the significance of this topic in the present age and what are the benefits that it can bring to the organizations of the present age. It discusses about the research problem and the objectives pertaining to the research proposal. This proposal will also provide a literature review that can help in the creation of a rapport with that of the audience. The literature review will help in sharpening the research focus and it will be able It will to highlight the relevance of the research in that of the present age. It also discusses about the research design along with methodology. It will discuss about the kind of research and the approach of the research (Sekaran and Bougie, pp 89, 2016). It will also elaborate on the kind of data that will be used for the research proposal. The data will be collected with the help of primary and secondary method that will help in throwing important light in relation to the topic. It will also help in the process of describing and jusitify that of the sample being used. It discusses how the plan of methodology can help in the process of addressing the ethical concern.
Literature Review
Accounting software is used in the organizations in order to present the financial information in a manner that is effective. Accounting software can have a great impact on the aspect of business performance. The significance of the accounting software has increased manifold in the present age and it has a grave impact on that of the performance of a business (Noble and Smith, pp 189, 2015). Different kinds of arguments have emerged in the modern age that talks about the replacement of the accountants by that of the accounting software (Ingram et al., pp 106, 2016). This research will elaborate on the effect that the accounting software can have on the employment rate pertaining to the accountants. The effect of the accounting software on the employees of Wesfarmers should be identified that can help in forming an opinion regarding the efficacy of the accounting software in an organization.
The primary reason for the construction of the research question is identification of the areas that the research will cover that can help in providing important data. The different research questions have been stated below:
- What is the effect of the accounting software on that of employment rate of the accountants in an organization?
- What are the factors that have propelled the rising use of the accounting software within the organizations?
- Which are the reasons on account of which the accounting software cannot replace the role played by the accountants?
The primary aim of the research program can help in assessing the impact that can be created with the help of accounting software in the field of employment rate of the accountants. This research program will help in the development of the knowledge in relation to the accounting software (McNiff, pp 234, 2016). It will also elucidate on the factors that can help in the promotion of the accounting software and the various reasons on account of which it will not be possible for the accounting software to replace that of the accountants (Doody and Bailey, pp 19, 2016). This research will also make use of reliable sources that can help in the process of forming an opinion and which can help in the process of assembling of important data.
It is important to decide about the objectives of the research that can help in stating the outcomes that one can get from that of research execution. The research objectives pertaining to the research program have been stated below:
- Identification of the effect of accounting software on that of employment rate of the accountants.
- Analysis of the factors that can promote the accounting software within organization
- Identification of the reasons on account of which the accounting software cannot replace that of the accountants
From the beginning, accounting software is being used as application software for the purpose of recording and processing different accounting transactions. It has also proved to be beneficial in functioning as an accounting information system. In this regard, various researches have been conducted by modern researchers for the purpose of facilitating the importance of accounting software towards the employment rates of the accountants. According to the perspective of modern scholars, accounting software can be referred to the kind of computer application that has been performing the functions of book-keeping without depending upon human-labors.
Research Questions
Modern researchers were of the view that as a result of invention of such accounting software where there is less involvement of human minds, it has proved to be beneficial in completing large amount of work within a prescribed time period. In such process it has proved to create favorable impact upon the operations of the firms as it less time consuming and maintains accuracy. Therefore, it is noteworthy to mention here that, the applicability of the accounting software in the history of mankind is not totally a new concept however; it emerged long time back which was not completely recognized on the part of early researchers. From time to time, the accounting software has various operations which are directly linked with accounts and finance.
Contemporary scholars were of the opinion that with the introduction of the accounting software, it has considerably increased efficiency in records with the elimination of human errors which was common prior to its invention. It is evident that the early practice of manual book-keeping involves various calculations which required human intervention as well. However, with the introduction of the accounting software, human errors during data entry and mistakes in interpretation have reduced to the great extent. According to modern scholars, incorrect calculation which was prone during the early days created major impact upon the end results. Modern researchers, in this regard, emphasized that, with the utilization of accounting software, business operations can be performed smoothly and without much interruption. However, in such process, it has created unfavorable impact upon employment of the accountants as well. With the use of accounting software, the processes helps in identifying the figures faster than human minds which increases the business prosperity of large firms. Therefore, there is no need to employ separate accountants for the purpose of calculations and making financial transactions. Authors also emphasized on the part that with the help of application software, firms and organizations were able to increase efficiency with the introduction of automation.
It is evident that business functioning involves the recording of sales tax in all the transactional operations. In this regard, the accounting software has proved to provide favorable results as it could easily configure the errors and make the entries automatically without involving any human body. In such process, it created negative impact upon the employment rates of the accountants as most of the technical work are performed without their assistance. It is worthwhile to mention here that, the benefits as a result of speed and efficiency regarding the functioning of accounting software is associated with the reduction of overall costs. With the application of the accounting software, it has effectively allowed the members of the accounting team to perform potentially within a limited time period. It is worth mentioning that, the application of accounting software; it has considerably reduced the payroll of the accounting department and the cost of administration. However, it is important to balance such techniques against the cost of software without the inclusion of any additional hardware for its performance.
Research Objectives
According to the perspective of Jones and Jones, from the very beginning, the application of accounting software has proved to be beneficial in increasing the efficacy of business operations with the supply of accurate financial information to the relevant staff members from time to time. In this regard, it was emphasized by Jones and Jones, that in case the director of an organization needs a detailed report regarding the cash flow of the business structure within a stipulated period (Jones and Jones 2016). Therefore it is noteworthy to mention here that, during this period of time, one can rely upon the application of the software. This is due to the reason that, accounting software systems have developed built-in reporting modules for the purpose of enabling the user to create such relevant reports within the prescribed time by filling the prescribed form or by clicking the appropriate button. The authors were of the perspective that, the creation of such report with the application of human minds would have been time consuming and inaccurate.
According to Lee, Kerler and Ivancevich, there must be an ability on the part of the members to the organization to utilize the accounting software accurately. It is evident that, in the modern era of digitalization a globalization, there is a need to digitalize the concept of accounting by replacing the age-old practice of human intervention (Lee, Kerler and Ivancevich 2018). However, with the implementation of various computerized accounting techniques by involving current accounting software, it has made it easy on the part of the firms to maintain speed and accuracy in the long run. It s worthwhile to refer here that, in spite of several attempts to introduce accounting software, measures should be taken so that, it could be efficiently applied. It is known to all that after the accounting software is introduced, human-labor is no longer required however; for proper functioning of the accounting software, human intervention is essential. L Lee, W Kerler, D Ivancevich were of the perspective that, in the area of accounting and financing, the practice of hand-made financial reporting has been replaced by the use of accounting software for the purpose of enabling quick reporting and easy processing of data. In this regard, it is noteworthy to mention here that, failure on the part of the members of the organization to use the accounting software may provide inaccurate financial information and delay in reporting. Therefore, skilled accountants can be employed for this purpose.
The Impact of Accounting Software on Employment Rate
According to Warren, Moffitt and Byrnes, evaluating big data can create various implications in case of accounting at times. However, big data can ensure improved managerial accounting as well by contributing towards the development and evolution of efficient management control systems and budgeting processes (Warren, Moffitt and Byrnes 2015). Therefore, it has been emphasized by Warren, Moffitt and Byrnes that by applying the accounting software in case of financial accounting, one can improve the quality and the relevance of the information that has been collected. In such process, it shall enhance transparency and the decision making of the stakeholders. Warren, Moffitt and Byrnes were of the view that, accounting software has been beneficial as it enhanced the creation and refinement of accounting standards. Therefore, with the application of the accounting software, it has helped in ensuring that accounting profession will continue for a long time by providing valuable information in relation to the global economy.
Accounting software is important or the users in the current time. In this regard, Zimmerman was of the opinion that, accounting software can be crucial for the purpose of smooth operation of any business activities by providing appropriate support in areas like payroll, tax deductions and other data. In the perspective of Zimmerman, accounting software and other automated software has been proved to be beneficial in providing fact and appropriate results (Zimmerman 2015). With the introduction of this new technology, it has made the performance of various tasks faster and accurate. Prior to the introduction of the accounting software, the tasks related to accounting were performed with hand which required skilled labors. Therefore, after the introduction of the accounting software, it reduced the cost of accounting.
Winstead and Wenger opined that, with the help of manual accounting, employees are able to perform the accounting cycle manually with periodic basis and with the calculation of trial balances (Winstead and Wenger 2015). Such processes require a lot of time however; computerized accounting decreases the time consumption by providing accurate calculations and smart reports.
In the perspective of DAI and XU, though accounting software is required in operating a large amount of trial balances and payroll (DAI and XU 2017). However; it is difficult to ensure accurate recording and processing of data. Utilizing the accounting software is not easy because various difficulties are associated with its application.
This section of the research proposal will consider the design and methodology that will be used for the research topic ‘effect of accounting software on the employment rate of accountants’. According to (Winstead and Wenger 2015), research is the quest for new information and knowledge and an organized approach is used for gathering that new knowledge. Research methodology refers to the systematic as well as theoretical structure of the methods that will be used for seeking knowledge in a successful manner. Different models, structures, strategies and segments are used in this chapter in order to fulfill the objectives of the research study by maintaining logic and science. However, George and Wallio (2017, pp. 112- 126) stated that research methodology is not the only way to complete the research in a successful manner but it helps in creating an outline for the study. The advantages of research methodology lie in guiding the researcher to select a suitable method for effective completion of the research. The research methodology chapter considers the data collection process along with the sampling and analysis techniques. The methodology of the particular research on the topic, ‘effect of accounting software on the employment rate of accountants’ is given below.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Accounting Software
There are three prominent types of research design such as exploratory, descriptive, explanatory and predictive. Exploratory research design refers to the pattern and relationship followed in certain cases when there are not many existing studies on similar research problem. Descriptive research design refers to gathering more information for knowing in detail about the specific problem (Chong and Monroe 2015, pp. 105- 132). Explanatory research refers to recognizing the casual relationship in order to evaluate the reason behind the occurrence of such phenomenon. Predictive research refers to the utilization of general relationship in order to find out the probability of the occurrence of similar kinds of case. For this particular research problem, descriptive research design will be considered for describing the characteristics of the entire population or phenomenon on which the research is being carried out. However, it does not respond to the question about the time, reason and the manner in which the phenomenon has taken place.
According to Kocakulah et al. (2016, p.89), nature of the research is a critical factor in generating the research methodology for the particular problem of the study. It is also important in deciding different strategies that will be used in the course of this research. There are three significant research approaches, namely qualitative, quantitative and mixed. Quantitative study refers to the collection of data in a structured manner, which is followed by interpretation of the research outcome. This type of research approach deals with numerical and figures. On the other hand, qualitative approach deals with the qualitative aspect of the research such as reasons, opinions and motivations. It is suitable for gaining insights about the research problem by developing ideas, concepts or hypothesis. Mixed method of research refers to the integrated method involving both qualitative and quantitative research approach. It involves the collection, analysis and combination of both qualitative and quantitative research approach (Apostolou et al. 2017, pp. 1-31). For this particular research problem, qualitative research approach will be used. This is because it will be suitable for focusing on the specific purpose of the problem. It will be effective in providing a detailed and in- depth analysis of the research problem on the impact of accounting software on the employment rates of accountant. Qualitative research that will be conducted will be helpful in offering supportive data relevant to the research problem.
Data collection forms an integral part of any kind of research work. It depends on the type of data collection, the way in which the research will be progressed. There are two common forms of data- primary and secondary. Primary data refers to the collection of original data specifically for the purpose of the particular research problem. A primary data is collected by the researcher in the first place and it was not used for any other research work. It is a valid form of data but expensive and time- consuming (Cleary and Quinn 2016, pp. 255-278). Primary data is collected in the form of questionnaire, interview or observation. On the other hand, secondary data is collected from other easily available sources, which were used for previous researches. It might not be collected by the researcher with a specific purpose in mind but used for fulfilling the objectives of some other task. It might not include a valid and appropriate form of data but cost- effective and takes less time. Secondary data is collected from journal articles, company reports, stakeholder reports, government data, census reports and other documents (Libby 2017, pp. 42- 54). In this particular research, a combination of both primary and secondary data will be used for assembling of the relevant and authentic data. For the primary data, raw materials will be assembled by directly involving with the respondents. For the secondary source, data will be collected from internet source, newspapers and articles.
Significance of Accounting Software in Modern Business Operations
There are different forms available for collecting data according to primary or secondary sources (Ahadiat and Martin 2015, p.179). As the research will consider both primary and secondary sources of data, therefore, questionnaire will be used for conducting survey among the research participants. Interview, focus group and observation will be used for collecting data according to qualitative research approach. On the other hand, survey and interview will be conducted for the purpose of quantitative research approach. The process of observation can be categorized into different categories such as structured and unstructured; participant and non- participant; controlled and uncontrolled. Interviews will be conducted based on personal interview and telephonic interview. Questionnaire will consists of only close- ended questions, as it is helpful in collecting valid responses from the participants. As only qualitative approach will be used for this research, therefore data will be collected by interview, focus group and observation.
In order to conduct this research based on survey and interview, it is important to select a suitable sampling technique. According to Ameri et al. (2015, p.0019793917717474), the two prominent sampling techniques are probability and non- probability. The samples will be collected from a large universe based on their age, experience and gender. Probability sampling technique refers to the equality in scope for all the participants to be selected in the data collection process. For this particular research, non-probability sampling technique will be used where there will not be any equal scope for the sample to be selected in the data collection process (Domino, Wingreen and Blanton 2015, pp. 453- 467). Thus is because, 150 samples will be collected from different accounting firms without the assurance that data will be collected on an equal basis. In this sampling technique, the researcher will select the participants based on their suitability with respect to the research topic.
For the research on ‘effect of accounting software on the employment rate of accountants’, sample will be collected from the organization of Wesfarmers, Australia. In order to complete the research on a smooth manner, systematic technique will be used for sampling (Wen et al. 2018, pp. 124- 140). It will be used for finding out the positive or negative effect of the accounting software by considering different accounting firms in Australia. There might be biasness of data, as it will be collected from a large population.
The data that will be collected from the primary and secondary sources will be analyzed using suitable technique. The secondary data will be analyzed based on literature review. It will be effective in finding out the views and opinions of other researchers on similar problems. The primary data will be analyzed using bar and graph. It will be helpful in accurate evaluation of the qualitative data.
Research Design and Methodology
This research will be carried out by maintaining strict ethical considerations. This is because a research including primary data needs to maintain more ethical considerations than the ones involving secondary data. The reason behind this is that while collecting primary data a researcher needs to be in direct contact with the respondents. According to Brink, Norman and Wier (2015, pp. 301- 320), following are the important ethical consideration that will be focused on while carrying out this research.
- The participants will not be harmed in any way during the course of this research and the.
- On the other hand, the top priority will be given to the dignity of the research participants.
- The information that will be gathered in the research will be protected and the confidentiality will be maintained.
- Apart from this, no information will be disclosed without the permission of the respondents and the anonymity of the research participants will be maintained.
- There will not be any deception or exaggeration with the aims and objectives of the research or any chance of possible conflicts will be informed beforehand (Grossman and Johnson 2015, pp. 91- 109).
References
Ahadiat, N. and Martin, R.M., 2015. Attributes, preparations, and skills accounting professionals seek in college graduates for entry-level positions vs. promotion. Journal of Business and Accounting, 8(1), p.179.
Ameri, M., Schur, L., Adya, M., Bentley, F.S., McKay, P. and Kruse, D., 2015. The disability employment puzzle: a field experiment on employer hiring behavior. ILR Review, p.0019793917717474.
Apostolou, B., Dorminey, J.W., Hassell, J.M. and Rebele, J.E., 2017. Accounting education literature review (2016). Journal of Accounting Education, 39, pp.1-31.
Brandas, C., Megan, O. and Didraga, O., 2015. Global perspectives on accounting information systems: mobile and cloud approach. Procedia Economics and Finance, 20, pp.88-93.
Brink, A.G., Norman, C.S. and Wier, B., 2015. Attained education and promotion in public accounting. Issues in Accounting Education, 31(3), pp.301-320.
Chong, V.K. and Monroe, G.S., 2015. The impact of the antecedents and consequences of job burnout on junior accountants’ turnover intentions: a structural equation modelling approach. Accounting & Finance, 55(1), pp.105-132.
Cleary, P. and Quinn, M., 2016. Intellectual capital and business performance: An exploratory study of the impact of cloud-based accounting and finance infrastructure. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 17(2), pp.255-278.
DAI, L.J. and XU, F.L., 2017. The Development Trend and Problems in Application of Accounting Computerization. DEStech Transactions on Economics, Business and Management, (eced).
Domino, M.A., Wingreen, S.C. and Blanton, J.E., 2015. Social cognitive theory: The antecedents and effects of ethical climate fit on organizational attitudes of corporate accounting professionals—a reflection of client narcissism and fraud attitude risk. Journal of business ethics, 131(2), pp.453-467.
Doody, O. and Bailey, M.E., 2016. Setting a research question, aim and objective. Nurse Researcher (2014+), 23(4), p.19.
George, J. and Wallio, S., 2017. Organizational justice and millennial turnover in public accounting. Employee Relations, 39(1), pp.112-126.
Gögüs, C.G. and Özer, G., 2014. The roles of technology acceptance model antecedents and switching cost on accounting software use. Journal of Management Information and Decision Sciences, 17(1), p.1.
Grossman, A.M. and Johnson, L.R., 2015. Employer perceptions of online accounting degrees. Issues in Accounting Education, 31(1), pp.91-109.
Ingram, J., Blair, P.S., Powell, J.E., Manns, S., Burden, H., Pontin, D., Redshaw, M., Beasant, L., Rose, C., Johnson, D. and Gaunt, D., 2016. Introduction, summary of study design and research objectives.
Jones, D. and Jones, M., 2016. Using QuickBooks® Accounting Software to Improve Financial and Production Records for Better Decision Making. In 2016 Annual Meeting, February 6-9, 2016, San Antonio, Texas (No. 229772). Southern Agricultural Economics Association.
Kocakulah, M.C., Kelley, A.G., Mitchell, K.M. and Ruggieri, M.P., 2016. Absenteeism problems and costs: causes, effects and cures. The International Business & Economics Research Journal (Online), 15(3), p.89.
Lee, L., Kerler, W. and Ivancevich, D., 2018. Beyond Excel: Software Tools and the Accounting Curriculum. AIS Educator Journal, 13(1), pp.44-61.
Libby, R., 2017. Accounting and human information processing. In The Routledge Companion to Behavioural Accounting Research (pp. 42-54). Routledge.
McNiff, J., 2016. You and your action research project. Routledge.
Noble, H. and Smith, J., 2015. Issues of validity and reliability in qualitative research. Evidence-Based Nursing, pp.ebnurs-2015.
Reynolds, M., 2017. Organizing reflection. Routledge.
Robson, C. and McCartan, K., 2016. Real world research. John Wiley & Sons.
Sekaran, U. and Bougie, R., 2016. Research methods for business: A skill building approach. John Wiley & Sons.
Semanyuk, V., 2017. Necessity of Fundamental Changes of Accounting Theory. Accounting and Finance, (4), pp.75-80.
Warren Jr, J.D., Moffitt, K.C. and Byrnes, P., 2015. How Big Data will change accounting. Accounting Horizons, 29(2), pp.397-407.
Wen, L., Yang, H., Bu, D., Diers, L. and Wang, H., 2018. Public accounting vs private accounting, career choice of accounting students in China. Journal of Accounting in Emerging Economies, 8(1), pp.124-140.
Wesfarmers.com.au, D. (2018). Home. [online] Wesfarmers.com.au. Available at: https://www.wesfarmers.com.au/ [Accessed 26 May 2018].
Winstead, J.L. and Wenger, M.R., 2015. Skills vs. Concepts: A Comparison of Practitioners’ and Educators’ Preferences for Accounting Information Systems Proficiencies. AIS Educator Journal, 10(1), pp.5-25.
Zimmerman, J.L., 2015. The role of accounting in the twenty-first century firm. Accounting and Business Research, 45(4), pp.485-509.
Order an Essay Now & Get These Features For Free:
Turnitin Report
Formatting
Title Page
Citation
Outline
