Accounting Competencies and the Changing Role of Accountants in Emerging Economies: The Case of Romania

Abstract

Over a recent short period, a number of interventions potentially helped move the Romanian accounting system away from being a tool simply used to support a planned economy. They include harmonization with the European Directives, the introduction of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and an increased move towards modern information technologies such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software. In this study, we directly explore these influences by applying job-offer analysis as a reflection of the current and future demand for accounting competencies. We first document current competencies expected from accountants in Romanian businesses and then assess the intervention impact on financial and management accountants. We hypothesize external influences would move Romanian accountants away from the traditional separate specialized positions towards more hybrid accounting positions, such as that adopted in the UK. Whilst our analysis supports a degree of transition with alignment to recent global trends, it also reveals some intransigence in the sense that management and financial accounting positions still tend to retain attributes associated with the two-cycle accounting system. Our findings have implications for harmonization issues and accounting education in Romania.