The influence of professional qualification on customer perceptions of accounting services quality and retention decisions

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine whether professional qualification in- creases the quality of accounting services as perceived by the customers. We advance the measurement of service quality by industry-specific indicators and establish four dimen- sions of accounting service quality. We analyse the impact of professional qualification on these dimensions of quality and the impact of these dimensions on customers’ retention decisions. The analysis is based on survey data of 237 Slovenian small and micro firms that outsource accounting. We find that professional qualification is positively associated with only one of the perceived service quality dimensions – accounting competences – and only assurance, responsiveness and reliability and empathy are positively associated with customers’ retention decisions. Limitations of the study are attributed to the measure- ment of service quality as perceived by the customers. However, this is the only factor of choice that ultimately counts in the competitive market for accounting services.

Keywords:

• accounting services
• accounting professional qualification
• small and micro firms
• service quality
• customer perceptions
• retention

JEL Classification::

• L84
• M41
• M48

Additional information

Maja ZAMAN GROFF. PhD, is an Assistant Professor of accounting and auditing at the Faculty of Economics, University of Ljubljana. She was a member of the Board of the Slovenian Association of Accountants, Treasurers and Auditors and a member of the Council of the Slovenian Institute of Auditors. She has focused her research on auditing and corporate governance related topics and is an audit committee member in a number of Slovenian public companies.

Sergeja SLAPNIČAR. PhD, is an Associate Professor of accounting at the Faculty of Economics, University of Ljubljana. Her research is focused on management control systems and corporate gov- ernance. She was a Board member of the Slovenian Agency for Audit Supervision till 2009 and is a supervisory board member or member of audit committees in a number of Slovenian public firms.

Neža ŠTUMBERGER is a practitioner and graduate student of accounting at the Faculty of Econom- ics, University of Ljubljana. She is employed in an accounting firm, providing services to small and micro firms.