The role of pervasive skills in the academic and professional preparation of Accounting students in the University of KwaZulu-Natal=Iqhaza lokwandiswa kwamakhono emfundo ephakeme kanye nokulungiselelwa ngobungcweti kwabafundi abafunda isifundo esibhekene nezezimali eNyuvesi yaKwaZulu-Natali.

Abstract

The accounting profession has changed dramatically over the past few years. Some perceive the changes that have taken place to have possibly resulted in an added focus on pervasive (or soft skills) in the profession. However, an expectation gap still exists between what employers of accounting graduates and what graduates have to offer in terms of pervasive skills is revealed in several studies. Hence, the pressure on the accounting academic programme to produce employment-ready, professional, and flexible graduates is increasing as various stakeholders, including employers and professional bodies, make more calls. Various Higher education institutions in South Africa that offer SAICA accredited accounting qualifications have responded to the concerns by implementing various interventions designed to ensure that accounting students as aspirant chartered accountants are equipped with skills, both technical and pervasive, necessary for them to be work-ready for a professional accounting environment and also achieve the best possible academic performance. Despite that, research studies indicate that employers of accounting graduates believe that accounting graduates still enter the job market with a poor command of pervasive skills and are ‘not job-ready.’ Following a case study design, using the mixed-methods approach, this study addressed the aim of the study through five research questions. Firstly, it explored the factors that have resulted in pervasive skills coming to the fore in the accounting profession in the recent past, guided by the Human Capital Theory. Furthermore, it sought to determine which of the selected pervasive skills were rated highly for securing entry-level employment in the field by two critical stakeholders, the accounting students, and academics in the professional academic programme. Additionally, the study investigated the factors that hinder or promote the development of pervasive skills by accounting students from Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological theoretical lens. Lastly, the influence of the selected pervasive skills on the work readiness and academic performance of accounting students aspiring to be chartered accountants was explored. From the results, it emerged that several factors have resulted in pervasive skills coming to the fore, including globalization and increased competition. It also emerged that there were similarities and differences in the rating of the selected pervasive skills by accounting students and academics. For instance, both cohorts of respondents believed critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills are important for entry-level employment in the accounting profession. The results also showed that the factors that affect the development of pervasive skills by accounting students are multifaceted and include a range of person, process, context, and time-based factors. The selected pervasive skills were also discovered to have a significant association with the accounting students’ work-readiness and academic performance in the professional degree. These findings motivate the continued prioritization of pervasive skills by SAICA-accredited accounting programmes in South Africa, as suggested by the CA2025 project, particularly in the current era marked by global economies, increased use of technology, and shifting accounting/audit client demands. Additionally, based on the findings, the continuous emphasis on pervasive skills is justified, as these skills have a favourable influence on the academic performance and work readiness of accounting students striving toward becoming chartered accountants.

Iqoqa Isifundo ngezezimali sesishintshe isibhudukani emva kweminyaka embalwa edlule. Abanye bakubuka lokhu kushintsha okwenzekile kwaba nomphumela ekugxileni kokwandisa amakhono angatheni okhalweni lobungcweti. Onalokhu engqondweni, isifundo ngezezimali ezinhlelweni zemfundo ephakeme siyazama ukukhiqiza asebekulungele ukusebenza, ubungcweti kanye namathwasa agobekayo esifundweni sezezimali njengoba abaneqhaza ngokwehlukana, kufaka abaqashi kanye nezigungu zezingcweti, zihlaba ikhwelo kakhulu. Kulandela lolu hlelo lokufunda oluyisiqopho kanye nezindlela ezixubile zokwenza, lokhu okufundwayo kulungisa izinhloso zokufundwayo ngemibuzo yocwaningo emihlanu. Okokuqala, luhlola izimbangela ezibenomphumela ekwandiseni amakhono avele obala ebungcwetini besifundo sokubala izimali, kuholwa injululwazi yeHuman Capital. Phezu kwalokho, sifuna ukuqinisekisa ukuthi kwakhethiwe amakhono andiswayo imaphi alinganiselwe phezulu ukugcina izinga lokungena mayelana nokuqashwa kulomkhakha ngabathile abaneqhaza, izitshudeni zalesi sifundo ezilangazelele ukuba ongcweti kwezokubala izimali kanye nakubafundisi bemfundo ephakeme. Ukunezezela, lokhu okufundwayo kwaphenya izimbangela ezithinta ukuthuthuka kwamakhono andiswayo izitshudeni zesifundo sokubala izimali kusukela ngehlo lobunjululwazi bukaBronfunbrenner’s Bioecological. Okokugcina, yaphenya ukusondelana phakathi kwalamakhono kanye nokulunga komsebenzi wezitshudeni zesifundo sokubala izimali kanye nokwenza emfundweni ephakeme. Kusukela emiphumelweni, kwavumbuka izimbangela ezimbalwa emakhonweni andiswayo avele obala, kufaka okomhlaba kanye nokwanda kokuncintisana. Kuphinde kuqhamuke ukuthi nhlangothi zombili zethimba labaphendulile bakholelwa ekucabangeni okujulile, ukuxhumana, kanye namakhono okuxazulula izinkinga abalulekile ezingeni lokungena ngokuqashwa kulo bungcweti bokubala izimali. Imiphumela ikhomba ukuthi izimbangela zokuthuthukiswa kokwandiswa kwamakhono ngabafundi besifundo sokubala izimali amacala maningi kanye nokufaka abantu ngokuhluka, umzuliswano, indawosimo kanye nezimbangela ezigxile ngesikhathi. Amakhono andiswayo akhethiwe kwatholakala ukuthi anokubaluleka kokuhlangana nabafundi balesi sifundo mayelana nokulungela umsebenzi kanye nokwenza ngokwemfundo ephakeme eziqwini zobungcweti. Lokhu okutholakele kugqugquzela ukuqhutshwa kokubekwa phambili kwamakhono andiswayo abe-SAICA abagunyazwe ngokwezinhlelo zokubala izimali eNingizimu Afrikha njengoba kwaphakanyiswa inhloso yeCA2025, kakhulukazi kulesi sikhathi esigxivizwe umkhakha wezezimali umhlabawonke, ukwandisa ukusetshenziswa kwezobuchwepheshe, nokuqhubezela izidingo zamakhasimende kwezokubalwa nokucwaninga amabhuku.