Honors Theses and Capstones

Date of Award

2020

Project Type

Senior Honors Thesis

College or School

PAUL

Department

Accounting

Program or Major

Business Administration: Accounting, Business Analytics

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science

First Advisor

Linda Ragland

Abstract

Although accounting has gone through significant changes over the years due to technological advancement, the profession remains at the core of business. Technology has not only impacted the accounting profession, but has completely transformed the business world. As professionals are continuously introduced to new technology platforms, their ability to analyze and interpret data is enhanced. The research presented in this paper seeks to understand which platforms are leading the way for change within the accounting profession. More specifically, this paper explores which platforms professional accountants perceive as most important to their job. This involves understanding which platforms they perceive themselves as having the most knowledge in using, as well as the platforms they believe they use most as a part of their job. To conduct this research, a survey was sent to participants believed to be currently working at an accounting firm. The results of this survey were analyzed based on certain controls. These controls include public accounting service focus, firm size, and position held at the firm. This helps to determine if there are any differences in the importance and impact of technology platforms based on these controls.

The results of the study show that Microsoft Excel, Skype, CaseWare IDEA, other Microsoft tools, Tableau, and Quickbooks are perceived as the most important to an accountant’s job. The identification of these platforms as being important, help show how the jobs of accountants are changing. These platforms allow accountants to spend more time analyzing the data they are working with, which in turn helps them to make more informed decisions.

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