The SMU College of Graduate Research Studies (CGRS) organised yet another Brown-bag Seminar held physically on 16 September 2022. The Seminar was open to all SMU postgraduate research students. The student speaker, Amanda AW YONG Zhi Xin, a 4th Year PhD in Accountancy candidate presented on the “Digitalisation, Accounting Jobs, and Financial Reporting Quality ''. Associate Professor of Accounting, WANG Rencheng chaired the session.
Participants gained insights from Amanda and Associate Professor WANG about the relationship between digitalisation, demand for accountants and accountants’ skill sets. In her study, Amanda shared about the linkages between the effect of firm digitalisation on the demand for corporate accountants and their digital skills.
Amanda's study finds that firms that adopt digital technologies demand more digital skills from financial specialists, who are responsible for financial reporting, budgeting, and forecasting. However, this is not the case for financial clerks, who mainly focus on administrative financial tasks. Firm digitalisation does not change the demand for financial specialists, as their professional judgement is crucial, but decreases demand for financial clerks as their jobs can be automated. Therefore, firm digitalisation increases demand for financial specialists’ digital skills. Those with digital skills obtain a higher remuneration. Along with the accountants’ digital skills and firm digitalisation, financial reporting quality has also improved significantly.
This study brings forth new insights on how technology affects the demand for jobs, how human capital and technology affect financial reporting quality and policy implications for developing accounting programme curriculum and professionals.
Keep a lookout for future Brown-bag Seminar sessions.
