Entry-Level Graduates: Skills Employers Seek in Management Accountants

This report examines the professional skills that employers seek in entry-level management accountants. It identifies key skills such as communication, analytical abilities, teamwork, and business acumen, emphasizing the importance of vocational skills over technical knowledge. The research explores how these requirements vary across industries and companies, considering factors like industry competitiveness and growth rates. It summarizes the need for management accountants to possess skills beyond traditional accounting, including critical thinking, leadership, and client focus. The methodology employs an inductive approach, utilizing qualitative research design and both primary and secondary data collection methods. The findings highlight the expectations of employers regarding communication skills, teamwork, analytical capabilities, and business knowledge, as well as the role of management accountants in financial management, strategic planning, and auditing. The report concludes with recommendations for graduates to develop these skills and acknowledges limitations in terms of time, resources, and cost. Desklib provides access to similar reports and solved assignments for students.

Running Head: APPLIED BUSINESS RESEARCH
Professional skills are required by the management accountant: what are employers
seeking from entry-level graduates

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APPLIED BUSINESS RESEARCH
Executive Summary
The primary purpose of this research is to address the professional skills which are required
by the management accountant: what are employers seeking from entry-level graduates.
Moreover, the research proposal is to offer the outline of the design of research. Moreover,
this research is based on determining the topic of determining skills and employees
requirements from the graduates at the time of entering the management accounting
profession. Moreover, the research purpose is to comprehend liabilities carried out by the
management account with respect to improving the fresh graduate’s skills. This report also
demonstrates the research topic, research design, and research purpose with respect to the
current matter.

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APPLIED BUSINESS RESEARCH
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
Research topic........................................................................................................................3
Background of the research....................................................................................................3
Overview of Industry..............................................................................................................3
Research Motivation...............................................................................................................4
Purpose of Research Study.....................................................................................................4
Summary of Research Objectives and Research Questions...................................................4
Research questions.................................................................................................................4
Summary of literature review.....................................................................................................5
Methodology..............................................................................................................................5
Results (findings) and discussion...............................................................................................8
Skills that are sought by employers from management accountants?....................................8
How does this different across the industry or company on work is?....................................8
What is the competitiveness of the industry and its growth rate?..........................................9
Conclusion, recommendation, and limitation..........................................................................10
Conclusion............................................................................................................................10
Recommendation..................................................................................................................10
Limitation.............................................................................................................................11
References................................................................................................................................12

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APPLIED BUSINESS RESEARCH
Introduction
Research topic
This research topic is to evaluate the professional skills which are required by the
management accountant: what are employers seeking from entry-level graduates.
Background of the research
In the existing business scenario, it is compulsory for the management team to examine
professional skills as it could be imperative to obtain a positive result. It is also imperative for
the continued growth of the organization at the global level (Ahadiat and Martin, 2015).
Therefore, it is effective for the organization to improve the skills and workforce’s
knowledge as it would be imperative for improving the firm performance and maintain the
competitiveness of the organization. Herein, training and development practices could be
imperative in increasing the internal capabilities of the workforces. The stakeholders could
also play an imperative role in increasing the growth of the organization in limited time and
cost. For sustaining the image of the organization, the firm has implied creative training and
development actions to facilitate the workforces and increase their abilities to offer of the
firm (Lim, et al., 2016).
Overview of Industry
Accounting industry of Australia is more famous than another state. In Australia, Accounting
industry considers approximately 34 associates and 243 specialist that offers certain services
to their listed organization like a tax, advisory services, and breadth of accounting. The
government of Australia facilitates the organization to start their business and get a higher
outcome. Moreover, the stable government nature could provide an opportunity to obtain
higher competitive benefits (Abayadeer and Watty, 2014).

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APPLIED BUSINESS RESEARCH
Research Motivation
The key purpose of this research is to evaluate professional skills are required by
management accountant from entry-level graduates. This research report enables to increase
the understanding towards problems faced by the firm at the time of recruiting professionals
in the accounting team. Moreover, this reports support to understand the skills that are sought
by employers from management accountants. It also discusses the competitiveness of
industry and their growth rate. It also leads research scholar to get higher competitive benefits
(Paadi, 2014).
Purpose of Research Study
The primary purpose of this study is to improve the financial situation of the firm.
Professional skills could be imperative to operate the activities of the organization and get
higher competitive benefits. Moreover, this research is emphasized on creating a relationship
between employees as well as employees in the context of management accounting skills
(Adnan, et al., 2017). This research will aid to appreciate the activities of an accountant and
accept any problems faced by employees at the time of working in the organization.
Summary of Research Objectives and Research Questions
The research aim could be imperative to lead the research in one direction and get
competitive benefits. In this, there are certain objectives that could be imperative in the
accomplishment of research aim in a systematic way as it is shown as below:
 RO1: To explore the skills that could be sought by employers from management
accountants
 RO2: To identify the differences across the industry or company on work
 RO3: To demonstrates the competitiveness of the industry and its growth rate
Research questions
The research questions of this research are discussed as below:

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APPLIED BUSINESS RESEARCH
 Q1. The skills that are sought by employers from management accountants?
 Q2. How does the this differ across the industry or company on work is?
 Q3. What are the competitiveness of the industry and its growth rate?
Summary of literature review
It can also be summarized that the organization could consider certain factors like
communication, analytical skills, teamwork, accounting competence, and business
environment understanding as it is significant skills for a positive management accountant.
Furthermore, it is also evaluated that organization seeks that they are needed to improve their
vocation skills as compared to improving the technical skills of the employees. Furthermore,
it is also addressed that the management accountant might be aware of the data entry and
accountant preparation (Kerzner and Kerzner, 2017). On behalf of the Australian Institute of
Chartered Professional Accountants, it is addressed that modern accountants are giving more
value to other as compared to the traditional accountant. It is also found that there are certain
factors that could consider by the modern accountant manager to run their activities like
critical thinking, interpretation, leadership, communication, and client concentration as it
would be effective for obtaining the positive outcome in limited resources. In the addition, it
is also examined that the management accountant could perform many activities that could be
different as per the market and norms of the company. There are two kinds of variables that
are usually considered by the firm like an independent and dependent variable. The
dependent variable is consumer preference and the depend dent variable is mobile purchasing
(Klingner, a Llorens, and Nalbandian, 2015).
Methodology
The research methodology is effective for selecting the appropriate research method in
obtaining feasible information about the research matter. There are many approaches as well
as methods that will enable the research scholar to complete their research and get a reliable

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outcome. In this research, the investigator has practiced the inductive approach to collect
theoretical information and meet the aim of the research. The deductive approach is not
practiced by the researcher as it is not appropriate for this research cause of the subjective
nature of research matter (Bunney, Sharplin, and Howitt, 2015). Moreover, Survey through
questionnaire and research strategy is effective to meet the aim and objectives of research
matter. The qualitative research design will be practiced by the researcher to meet the aim of
the research. Apart from this, it is also analyzed that qualitative research design facilitates to
get theoretical information about the research issue. The quantitative research tool is
practiced to obtain quantitative data in the context of the current research matter. In this, there
are certain methods that are considered in the data collection method like primary and
secondary data collection tool. The primary data collection tool is imperative for obtaining in
the fresh information about the research issue. The primary data is collected could be
collected by survey through questionnaire and interview method as it would lead to obtaining
the higher result (McMurray, et al., 2016). In this research, the secondary data could be
gathered by using the existing information of another researcher. In addition, it is also
evaluated that the data analysis method is effective for evaluating collected information about
the research issue. These are qualitative research data analysis methods are effective for
evaluating the gathered data and meet the aim of the research (Grossman and Johnson, 2015).
In qualitative data analysis, the researcher will use evaluating the collected content and get a
reliable outcome. Apart from this, the researcher will concentrate on certain factors like time,
resources, and cost to could restraint the researcher to accomplish their specified research and
meet aim and objectives. Research has concentrated ethical norms to conduct their research in
an appropriate way. The ethical norms will facilitate the research scholar to perform a right
behavior at the working place and get a suitable outcome (Yew Wong, et al., 2014).

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APPLIED BUSINESS RESEARCH
Results (findings) and discussion
Skills that are sought by employers from management accountants
It is found that employers expect that management accountant should have been effective
communication skills as it would be effective for completing their targeted task in a limited
time. Further, the communication skills enable the employees to directly communicate with
others and resolve their issues in the least time and cost. Moreover, management account
should also be capable to work as a team member (Jiles, 2014). Another skill is that they
should have analytical and numerical capabilities to resolve their issue in the least time. It is
also addressed that employees should be aware of the current business knowledge as it could
be imperative in the accomplishment of their organization goal by giving an appropriate
direction to the specified business.
It is also addressed that budgeting and reporting could be an imperative part of the business
as it offers an opportunity for a leading organization. Moreover, it is also addressed that
promotion on the strategic plan and business plan aids an organization to obtain a higher
outcome by using the systematic flow of the business process (Brumberger and Lauer, 2015).
In addition, it is also examined that management account should also be aware of the tax-
related material. In addition, it is examined that the management accountant should be able to
develop a financial statement for fulfilling external as well as the internal requirement of the
organization. It is also addressed that management accountant could offer financial evaluation
as well as forecasting to get higher competitive benefits. Moreover, it is also found that
management should support to the organization in the auditing of projects to determine the
business issues timely and meet them accordingly (Cappelli, 2015).
How does this differ across the industry or company on work is
It is also addressed that each organization has made own rules and regulation as well as the
expectation for the accomplishment of the specified targeted task. Further, the role of

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APPLIED BUSINESS RESEARCH
management accountant could be determined by the organization types as well as industry.
Hence, it is found that the management accountant performs many tasks as it is associated
with manage financial issue, financial security and making management approaches. It is
addressed that these activities could be imperative for the attainment of their goal and makes
their unique image in the marketplace. Moreover, it is also addressed that management
accountant could be key people for increasing and determining the company success.
Moreover, it is also addressed that some organizations follow the Certified Management
Accountant process while some use CPA (Finch, et al., 2016). It could differentiate the role
of the management accountant. On the basis of CPA, management account could complete
certain activities such as handling management issues, cost accounting, and financial
planning. It is also found the job accountability could be range widely as it is dependent on
the organization. It is also found that organization could consider certain activities as it could
be related to handling taxes, budgeting, management of assets, compensations and benefits
management, strategic planning, and auditing (Mackey and Gass, 2015).
It is also addressed that a management accountant might determine opportunities and
improvement to operate the business process and get higher benefits. It is also addressed that
management accountant could also monitor each financial activity of the organization for
maintaining their business in the marketplace for long-term. Form the appropriate selection
of the accountant manager, the organization may not only keep their financial structure but
also supervise data processors and bookkeepers.
What are the competitiveness of the industry and its growth rate?
It is also found that the over the five years, the accounting service industry has shown modest
growth caused by enhancing demand of the industry-specific advisory products and services.
It is also found that audit services are the dependent sources of industry revenue over the last
five years as it demonstrated that such services could be generally needed by law. Moreover,

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APPLIED BUSINESS RESEARCH
it is also addressed that the annual growth of the organization was found 1.5% in 2013-2018.
Along with this, the industry has increased their value-added services by employed new tools
like cloud-based accounting and data analytics. It could be effective for accomplishment for
desire goal (Silverman, 2016).
Conclusion, recommendation, and limitation
Conclusion
From the above interpretation, it can be concluded that consumer preference could be
imperative in increasing the demand of the specified products. It leads the organization to
change the purchasing decision of consumers in limited time and attracts them to purchase
products and services of the organization. In this, the organization could confront from many
issues to attract the consumers to purchasing mobile form the specified place.
Recommendation
The organization should imply many technologies to improve the organizational performance
by increasing demand for specified products and services. In addition, it is also examined that
the competencies and traits that are needed for the management accounting could be different
from the industry to industry and company to company. The following strategies will be
practiced by the researcher to meet the aim and objectives of the organization
Collaboration is the key to truly improving your management accounting skills. The
organization might be capable to show their efforts in the accomplishment of the desired goal
in the least time and cost (Panneerselvam, 2014). The management account could also
determine a cross-functional activity to accomplish the desired goal. Moreover, it is also
addressed that the management accountant could also gain their awareness about commercial
rules and regulation that could lead to being effective for operating the business process. It is
also evaluated that the accounting understanding could also be effective for business
operation and maintains competitiveness. In addition, it is also examined that the effective

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management skills, as well as business skills, could lead the firm to retain their position in the
marketplace. Moreover, it is also addressed external atmosphere could be effective for getting
higher success. In addition, it is also examined that communication skills could be effective
in gaining insights knowledge about the potential consumers. In addition, it is found that
communication skills could enable the management accountants to collect the information
from shareholders and stakeholders of the organization in the least time and cost. In addition,
it also leads the firm to obtain higher benefits (Neuman and Robson, 2014).
Limitation
This study is emphasized in the secondary data analysis method that declines the reliability of
the obtained research outcome. It is also addressed that time, cost, and resources are
influenced by the obtained outcome of the research outcome.

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APPLIED BUSINESS RESEARCH
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