Accounting and Auditing Skills Gap in Gulf Cooperation Council Counties

1. Introduction and Background Gulf States is a short name for the Arab states of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the United Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. The Gulf are known to have a common regional culture.  The current... [ view full abstract ]

1. Introduction and Background

Gulf States is a short name for the Arab states of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the United Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. The Gulf are known to have a common regional culture. 

The current GCC’s objectives are to foster progress in science as well as in the technical sector in order to attain development in the exploration of natural resources. The challenges that the GCC has faced in the quest for the achievement of the set objectives, such as the slower job growth, increased unemployment, and evident skills mismatch reveal (Grainger, et al., 2012).

The GCC states have concentrated on the regulation of higher education with the intention to realize a knowledge-based economy, which will ascertain constant economic growth and development (CAA, 2015).

The research offers a critical overview of the educational systems within the GCC, and the opportunities and challenges the GCC is facing, and examines the inter-connection that exists between high quality education and economic development. The study examines the challenge of accounting and auditing skills mismatch and skilled labor shortages in the GCC region by reviewing findings related to skills demand from recent surveys and quantitative trends in education and skill levels of employment and unemployment. 

2. Research Problem 

Preparing university students for careers in accounting and auditing has been a critical challenge for business educators as well as for employers.

This study seeks to examine whether there are significant differences in expectations between accounting and auditing graduates and their employers related to skills: routine–technical skills, interdisciplinary skills, and interpersonal and development skills. 

3. Significance and Motivation of the Study 

This research gains its relevance and importance from being one of few studies investigating accounting and auditing skills gap and its documentation in GCC counties. 

Factors are linked to skills gap since they are exposed to different parties experienced this gap including employers, governments, and educational institutions. The study identifies problems in the accounting curricula of business information at the high school level and suggests improvements needed in the accounting textbooks. This study itemized some ways to improve accounting education curriculum as follows. First, reflected concepts in new courses with the establishment of GCC –IFRS. Second, the contents of the new courses consolidated with financial statements. Finally, the contents of the textbooks should be reorganized (Fan et al., 2013). 

4. Research Method 

4.1 Sample and Instrument 

The study uses two different questionnaires. All tested knowledge and skills will be grouped into three dimensions: routine–technical finance skills which are accounting and auditing related skills, interdisciplinary academic skills that are interdisciplinary related skills, and personal and communication skills that are nonacademic and other related skills, each dimension consists of a group of sub-dimensions. 

4.2 Sample Demography 

The graduates’ survey will be distributed to accounting and auditing graduates from universities and academic institutions offering degrees in accounting and auditing. 

5. Ethical Clearances and Related Issue 

Ethical clearance will ensure proposed research will meet all guidelines, legal and ethical requirements in analyzing data and related information.