Practitioner Approaches to Improving First-Year Staff Accountants’ Communication Skills

• In Event: Emerging Research Session II: Case Discussions and Communication

Abstract

Academics and practitioners generally agree that students’ communication skills are weak. Most business schools have devoted resources and developed curriculum to address this issue. The purpose of our study is to determine what practitioners do to address weak communication skills of first-year staff accountants. We also examine the types of communications expected of first-year staff and specific types of training firms provide for each. Our study will involve a survey of practitioners and human resource personnel of CPA firms in the Northeast region who are involved in training. An added component may be to survey, business and governmental units as well to determine differences in perspective on communication skills and training.

Authors

• D. Donald Kent, The College at Brockport, SUNY

• William H Dresnack, Rochester Institute of Technology