Analysis of the Russian Accounting Labor Market from the Perspective of the Theory of Environmental Determinism
( Pp. 191-212)
More about authors
Andrey A. Aksentev
Postgraduate student of the Department of Accounting, Audit and Automated Data Processing, ; Accountant
Kuban State University; Krasnodar; Perspektiva LLC
; Russian Federation; Russian Federation
Kuban State University; Krasnodar; Perspektiva LLC
; Russian Federation; Russian Federation
Abstract:
The aim of the paper is to show the failure of the institutional environment of the accounting system in Russia. For this purpose, we analyze the accounting labor market, where the existing disproportions are a symptom of the problem. The research is based on the theory of environmental determinism, which requires to consider the accounting system in the context of factors (institutions) that form it. This approach allowed us to identify a number of problems, among which the key ones are the following: the obsolescence of the profession due to the fact that young specialists no longer enter the labor market; entry barriers work inadequately; low wages are one of the reasons for the development of shadow economy in the country, etc. The study is based on the theory of ecological determinism. With the help of traditional statistical analysis and standard techniques of econometric analysis, two samples (on the example of Moscow) characterizing the «supply» (applicants) of accounting workforce and «demand» (vacancies) for it were studied. The analysis showed: 1) for job seekers: key factors (work experience, age, education, availability of certificates) do not explain the amount of wages they claim; 2) for vacancies: the «minimum» amount of wages (the left boundary of the price interval) is primarily influenced by the applicant's education and competencies, while the «maximum» amount of wages (the right boundary of the price interval) is explained to a greater extent by the applicant's competencies, and work experience may not matter. Work experience may indeed be irrelevant, as the labor market is 90% female accountants with more than six years of work experience, thus employers emphasize the competencies of job seekers. The paper confirms that the remuneration of accountants is extremely underpaid across the country, including in relation to the 'business and administration' group. A gender pay gap is also found, but due to the fact that the profession is predominantly represented by women, a conclusion is made about the industry specificity of the analyzed sphere of activity. It is argued that Russia in the foreseeable future will face a similar problem to that of the US in terms of the shortage of accountants. Future research should continue to analyze the institutional environment of the accounting system in Russia from the perspective of other factors (education, attestation, government regulation, etc.), and only as this is done will it be possible to develop a plan to address the existing imbalances.
How to Cite:
Aksentev A. A. Analysis of the Russian Accounting Labor Market from the Perspective of the Theory of Environmental Determinism // ECONOMIC PROBLEMS AND LEGAL PRACTICE. 2024. Vol. 20. № 4. P. 191-212. (in Russ.) EDN: DZSIUI
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Roberts A. The very idea of classification in international accounting // Accounting, Organizations and Society. 1995. Vol. 20. No. 7/8. P. 639–664.
Saudagaran S.M., Joselito G.D. Accounting Regulation in ASEAN: A Choice between the Global and Regional Paradigms of Harmonization // Journal of International Financial Management and Accounting. 1997. Vol. 8. No. 1. P. 1–32. DOI: 10.1111/1467-646X.00015.
Schaefer J., Zimmer M. Gender and Earnings of Certain Accountants and Auditors: A Comparative Study of Industries and Regions // Journal of Accounting and Public Policy. 1995. Vol. 14. No. 4. P. 265–291.
Stedham Y., Yamamura J.H., Satoh M. Gender and salary: A study of accountants in Japan // Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources. 2006. Vol. 44. No. 1. P. 46–66. DOI: 10.1177/1038411106061507.
Aksent'ev A.A. The theory of environmental determinism in international accounting: the need to rethink it // International accounting. 2024. Vol. 27. No. 3. Pp. 278–303. (in Russ.) https://doi.org/10.24891/ia.27.3.278.
Aksent'ev A.A. «White» money laundering: approaches to organizing schemes and links to illicit cashing // Shadow economy. 2024. Vol. 8. No. 1. Pp. 33–54. (in Russ.) DOI: 10.18334/tek.8.1.120471.
Druzhilovskaya T.Y., Druzhilovskaya E.S. Dynamics of Higher Accounting Education in Russia: Achievements, Problems and Search for Prospects // Higher education in Russia. 2023. Vol. 32. No. 6. Pp. 139–166. (in Russ.) DOI: 10.31992/0869-3617-2023-32-6-139-166.
Konovalova N.V. Motives for the choice of profession by students of the specialty «economics and accounting (by branches)» at the faculty of secondary vocational education // Bulletin of Taganrog Institute of Management and Economics. 2023. No. 1. Pp. 45–48. (in Russ.).
Roshchin S.Yu., Emelina N.K. Meta-analysis of the gender pay gap in Russia // HSE Economic Journal. 2022. Vol. 26. No. 2. Pp. 213–239. (in Russ.) DOI: 10.17323/1813-8691-2022-26-2-213-239.
Soboleva G.V., Popova I.N., Zuga E.I. Labor Market for Accountants in the Digital Economy: Status and Prospects // IPB Bulletin (Bulletin of Professional Accountants). 2020. No. 4. Pp. 24–31. (in Russ.).
Soboleva G.V., Popova I.N., Terentyeva T.O. The digital economy and its impact on accounting and auditing training // International accounting. 2019. Vol. 22. No. 4. Pp. 464–480. (in Russ.) https://doi.org/10.24891/ia.22.4.464.
Ahmed K., Alam K.F., Alam M. An empirical study of factors affecting accounting students’ career choice in New Zealand // Accounting Education. 1997. Vol. 6. No. 4. P. 325–335. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/096392897331398.
Alexander D., Archer S. On the Myth of «Anglo-Saxon» Financial Accounting // The International Journal of Accounting. 2000. Vol. 35. No. 4. P. 539–557. URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0020-7063(00)00078-9.
Auyeung P., Sands J. Factors influencing accounting students' career choice: a cross-cultural validation study // Accounting Education: An International Journal. 1997. Vol. 6. № 1. Pp. 13–23. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/096392897331596.
Barrios J.M. Occupational Licensing and Accountant Quality: Evidence from the 150-Hour Rule [Becker Friedman Institute for Research in Economics Working Paper No. 2018-32], 2019. Available at SSRN: http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2893909.
Barth M.E. Global Financial Reporting: Implications for U.S. Academics // The accounting review. 2008. Vol. 83. No. 5. P. 1159–1179. DOI: 10.2308/accr.2008.83.5.1159.
Barth M.E. Accounting in 2036: A Learned Profession. Part I: The Role of Research // The accounting review. 2018. Vol. 93. No. 6. P. 383–385. DOI: 10.2308/accr-10627.
Benston G.J. The Market for Public Accounting Services: Demand, Supply and Regulation // Journal of Accounting and Public Policy. 1985. Vol. 4. P. 33–79.
Böckem H., d'Arcy A. Evolution of (International) Accounting Systems Critical Assessment of the Environmental Determinism Theory with an Application to Tax Influences // Schmalenbachs Zeitschrift für betriebswirtschaftliche Forschung. 1999. Vol. 51. P. 60–76. URL: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03371559.
Brennan N., Nolan P. Employment and remuneration of Irish chartered accountants: evidence of Gender Differences // European Accounting Review. 1998. Vol. 7. No. 2. P. 237–255, DOI: 10.1080/096381898336466.
Christensen J. Accounting in 2036: A Learned Profession. Part II: A Learned Research and Education Environment // The accounting review. 2018. Vol. 93. No. 6. P. 387–390. DOI: 10.2308/accr-10628.
Cooke T.E., Olusegun Wallace R.S. Financial Disclosure Regulation and Its Environment: A Review and Further Analysis // Journal of Accounting and Public Policy. 1990. Vol. 9. No. 2. P. 79–110. URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/0278-4254(90)90013-P.
d'Arcy A. Accounting Classification and the International Harmonisation Debate—An Empirical Investigation. Accounting // Organizations and Society. 2001. Vol. 26. No. 4–5. P. 327–349. URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0361-3682(00)00036-2.
Demski J.S. Is Accounting an Academic Discipline? // Accounting Horizons. 2007. Vol. 21. No. 2. P. 153–157.
Durgut M., Pehlivan A. Analysis of factors that affect the job choice of accounting students // Karadeniz Teknik Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi. 2019. Vol. 9. No. 17. P. 103–118. URL: https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/746728.
Fellingham J.C. Is Accounting an Academic Discipline? // Accounting Horizons. 2007. Vol. 21. No. 2. P. 159–163.
Hull R.P., Umansky P.H. An examination of gender stereotyping as an explanation for vertical job segregation in public accounting // Accounting, Organizations and Society. 1997. Vol. 22. No. 6. P. 507–528.
Lee C.-W.J. Accounting Infrastructure and Economic Development // Journal of Accounting and Public Policy. 1987. Vol. 6. No. 2. P. 75–85. URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/0278-4254(87)90007-X.
Nobes C.W. A Judgemental International Classification of Financial Reporting Practices // Journal of Business Finance & Accounting. 1983. Vol. 10. No. 1. P. 1–19. URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-5957.1983.tb00409.x.
Nobes C.W. Lessons from misclassification in international accounting // The British Accounting Review. 2018. Vol. 50. No. 3. P. 239–254. DOI: 10.1016/j.bar.2017.08.002.
Nobes C.W. On the Myth of «Anglo-Saxon» Financial Accounting: A Comment // The International Journal of Accounting. 2003. Vol. 38. No. 1. P. 95–104. URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0020-7063(02)00213-3.
Nobes C.W. Towards a General Model of the Reasons for International Differences in Financial Reporting // ABACUS. 1998. Vol. 34. No. 2. P. 162–187. URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-6281.00028.
Roberts A. The very idea of classification in international accounting // Accounting, Organizations and Society. 1995. Vol. 20. No. 7/8. P. 639–664.
Saudagaran S.M., Joselito G.D. Accounting Regulation in ASEAN: A Choice between the Global and Regional Paradigms of Harmonization // Journal of International Financial Management and Accounting. 1997. Vol. 8. No. 1. P. 1–32. DOI: 10.1111/1467-646X.00015.
Schaefer J., Zimmer M. Gender and Earnings of Certain Accountants and Auditors: A Comparative Study of Industries and Regions // Journal of Accounting and Public Policy. 1995. Vol. 14. No. 4. P. 265–291.
Stedham Y., Yamamura J.H., Satoh M. Gender and salary: A study of accountants in Japan // Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources. 2006. Vol. 44. No. 1. P. 46–66. DOI: 10.1177/1038411106061507.
Keywords:
Labor market; accounting; environmental determinism; gender gap; education..
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