‘A distinguishing factor’: Oral Communication Skills in New Accountancy Graduates

Abstract

This study into the perceived importance of oral communication skills in accountancy included the collection and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data from a national survey of New Zealand accountants, followed by a series of semi-structured interviews. Survey and interview data reveal agreement with existing literature: New Zealand accountancy employers find all oral communication skills somewhat important and a number of specific skills extremely important, but employers also report seldom finding the required level of oral communication proficiency in new university graduates. The study produced an inventory of 27 individual oral communication skills that will be useful to similar investigations in different national contexts. Additionally, the findings of this study may be useful to curricular development both in the New Zealand and international contexts.

Keywords:

• Oral communication
• workplace communication
• listening
• presentation skills
• telephone skills

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Maryann Groat, Aimee Gray, Catherine Parsons, and in particular thank Graham Crombie, 2008 President of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Notes

De Lange et al. (2006) make this point specifically (366, n.1). Bennett et al., (2000), discusses how the term “generic skill” continues to elude precise definition in the scholarly discourse.

The age profile of Chartered Accountancy practice employees can only be logically assumed: while NZICA collects data on the age of its members, not every CA firm employee is a member of NZICA, and further, the data NZICA which collects and reports is provided by members on an optional basis, and therefore, may not be fully representative or accurate.