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Data-driven decision-making and its impact on accounting undergraduate curriculum

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  • Ballou, Brian
  • Heitger, Dan L.
  • Stoel, Dale

Abstract

Data analytics appears soundly entrenched within both professional accounting and business environments. However, the role of data analytics within undergraduate accounting education does not appear to be well understood either by practitioners or academics. This study addresses the curriculum impact of the data-driven decision-making evolution by investigating the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) specifically needed within accounting curricula (as opposed to other disciplines within and outside of the business school). Based on prior literature and suggestions from interviews with business professionals, this study identifies a set of possible KSAs—incremental to technical accounting knowledge—useful for helping accountants succeed in the evolving data-driven decision-making environment. Using these KSAs, this study surveys business professionals and faculty from a set of representative accounting programs to better understand their desired emphasis on the KSAs as compared to traditional technical accounting knowledge. We find that compared to accounting faculty, business professionals desire an equal focus across all types of KSAs rather than on a detailed understanding of technical accounting knowledge traditionally emphasized in classrooms. We believe that this study’s results suggest a desired shift towards a more “scientific method” approach in which students use their understanding of business and accounting to ask questions, perform research, and seek out additional information to test alternate solutions (often using quantitative analyses) to evolve their accounting knowledge. Additionally, we provide results of a survey of business professionals on potential types of traditional accounting topics to deemphasize and thus provide opportunities to more thoroughly integrate additional KSAs into the accounting curriculum.

Suggested Citation

  • Ballou, Brian & Heitger, Dan L. & Stoel, Dale, 2018. "Data-driven decision-making and its impact on accounting undergraduate curriculum," Journal of Accounting Education, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 14-24.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:joaced:v:44:y:2018:i:c:p:14-24
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jaccedu.2018.05.003
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Fay, Rebecca & Negangard, Eric M., 2017. "Manual journal entry testing: Data analytics and the risk of fraud," Journal of Accounting Education, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 37-49.
    2. Janvrin, Diane J. & Raschke, Robyn L. & Dilla, William N., 2014. "Making sense of complex data using interactive data visualization," Journal of Accounting Education, Elsevier, vol. 32(4), pages 31-48.
    3. Igou, Amy & Coe, Martin, 2016. "Vistabeans coffee shop data analytics teaching case," Journal of Accounting Education, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 75-86.
    4. Elizabeth Jonson & Linda McGuire & Deirdre O’Neill, 2015. "Teaching Ethics to Undergraduate Business Students in Australia: Comparison of Integrated and Stand-alone Approaches," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 132(2), pages 477-491, December.
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    Cited by:

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    3. Erland Hejn Nielsen & Steen Nielsen, 2020. "Preparing students for careers using business analytics and data-driven decision making," Economics Working Papers 2020-08, Department of Economics and Business Economics, Aarhus University.
    4. Kamaal Allil, 2024. "Integrating AI-driven marketing analytics techniques into the classroom: pedagogical strategies for enhancing student engagement and future business success," Journal of Marketing Analytics, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 12(2), pages 142-168, June.
    5. Ashaari, Mohamed Azlan & Singh, Karpal Singh Dara & Abbasi, Ghazanfar Ali & Amran, Azlan & Liebana-Cabanillas, Francisco J., 2021. "Big data analytics capability for improved performance of higher education institutions in the Era of IR 4.0: A multi-analytical SEM & ANN perspective," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
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    7. Andiola, Lindsay M. & Masters, Erin & Norman, Carolyn, 2020. "Integrating technology and data analytic skills into the accounting curriculum: Accounting department leaders’ experiences and insights," Journal of Accounting Education, Elsevier, vol. 50(C).
    8. Xu, Hui & Liu, Yuebing & Krahel, John Peter, 2024. "Faculty intention to implement data analytics in the accounting curricula," Journal of Accounting Education, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    9. Susanne Leitner-Hanetseder & Christoph Eisl & Carina Knoll & Othmar M. Lehner, 2021. "Need For Advanced It Skills For Accountants €“ What Does Accounting Education Literature Tell Us?," Business Education and Accreditation, The Institute for Business and Finance Research, vol. 13(1), pages 57-69.
    10. Sidorova, Marina & Nazarov, Dmitry & Listopad, Ekaterina, 2022. "The impact of ideology on the institutionalization of correspondence accounting education in Soviet Russia (1929–1939)," Journal of Accounting Education, Elsevier, vol. 58(C).
    11. Berry, Reanna & Routon, Wesley, 2020. "Soft skill change perceptions of accounting majors: Current practitioner views versus their own reality," Journal of Accounting Education, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).

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