Soft skills needed by accountants in the post-pandemic future: Impact of emerging technologies in GCC countries

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about significant changes to the accounting profession, including the need for enhanced soft skills. Professional accountants have been able to step in as dependable advisors during times of crisis and uncertainty. Additionally, the pandemic has led to increased attention to soft skills by companies. This paper reviews and analyses the soft skills required by accountants with a key focus on the impact of emerging technologies on the role, skills, and performance of accounting professionals in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The study employs a resource-based view (RBV) theory to connect these variables, with the proposition that the accounting profession’s resources, particularly the possession of soft skills, dictate its performance and competitiveness. The study employs both qualitative and quantitative methods, analyzing online job advertisements to ascertain the soft skills sought after by employers in these countries. A sample of 344 job ads from GCC countries posted during the pandemic was examined. This study shows that the most valuable skills among employers in GCC countries in terms of ranks are: 1) interpersonal skills (249 out of 344), 2) organizational skills, and 3) personal skills. The study demonstrates that quarantines and social distancing measures with limited face-to-face interactions and more online professional meetings could be difficult for accountants. The study concludes in the accounting profession, interpersonal skills are the most in-demand, followed by organizational skills and personal skills.