An Outdated Sterotype? Accounting Compared with Competing Professions

Clement C. Chen, PhD, CPA, and Sarah A. Garven, PhD, MBA, CPA, and Keith T. Jones, PhD, CPA, and Audrey N. Scarlata, PhD

The popular accountant stereotype portrays a person who lacks creativity, sitting alone crunching numbers. Those within the profession know that this portrayal is inaccurate and that the accounting profession encompasses a wide variety of skills, both technical and personal. What does the evolving face of accounting look like today, and how can we spread the right message about our profession? This article discusses the results and implications of a recently published academic study that compared leading career models’ portrayal of accounting to competing professions and provided evidence concerning the required level of skills needed in contemporary accounting work.