Understanding students’ attitudes towards accounting and the profession: an answer to the shortage of accountants?

The accounting profession is facing a critical era, marked by a global shortage of accounting professionals that has reached unprecedented levels. The survey-based empirical findings and supporting psychological theoretical foundations of this study emphasise the significance of identifying and understanding students’ attitudes towards accounting and the profession in addressing this shortage. Applying retrospective cross-sectional methodology, this study identifies students’ attitudes towards accounting and the profession and analyses how these change over time at university. Before university, students held a negative attitude towards accounting and the profession, with many of their beliefs identifying with negative stereotypes. By the final semester of university, students’ attitude scores became positive through the strengthening or introduction of new positive beliefs and the loss of negative beliefs. This study identified that the intention to study accounting was a critical component of positive attitudes, increasing the probability of a student pursuing a career in accounting. The results signal to stakeholders that more positive exposure to accounting is critical before university to correct the negative stereotypes and ensure an accurate narrative. While this approach would not yield an immediate solution to the graduate shortage, it will build a more sustainable solution and deliver wider benefits to all stakeholders.