The Adequacy of Accounting Education in the Development of Transversal Skills Needed to Meet Market Demands

Abstract

With the ongoing digital transformation, accountants will need a more technological pro-file and greater mastery of transversal skills. In this context, higher education institutions (HEIs) assume a fundamental role, as they must adapt the teaching methodologies of accounting courses to meet new market demands. This study aims to identify the transversal skills most needed by accounting professionals to meet market demands and analyze the suitability of higher education in Portugal for the development of those skills. To this end, semi-structured interviews were carried out with people who directly or indirectly deal with accounting professionals and focus groups that included lecturers, students, and recent graduates. Conclusions indicate that communication is the most valuable transversal skill to respond to the new requirements of the profession, followed by being proactive, showing initiative, successful teamwork, and the ability to adapt to new contexts. Accountants are also required to invest more time in information and communication technologies (ICT) training. Evidence indicates that accounting education in Portugal does not seem to ade-quately prepare students with these skills, continuing to rely on traditional approaches to teaching and assessment.