Anda di halaman 1dari 3

THE ATTITUDES OF FINNISH ACCOUNTANTS PAPERLESS ACCOUNTING Benita Gullkvist, Vaasa Polytechnic, Finland

AND

AUDITORS

TOWARDS

Accounting is said to be one of the oldest professions on record. Over the ages technologies have evolved from manual resources, such as paper and ink, to the advanced information technologies available today, and the technological development continues. IFAC (2002) states, that the fundamental changes brought about by e-business will also have a significant impact on accounting systems, changing business processes and the evidence available to support business transactions which, in turn, will lead to changes in the accounting records maintained and accounting procedures followed. The objective of an accounting information system is to collect and store data about business processes that can be used to generate a meaningful output for decision makers. The issue of timely information is of great importance today or as Rezaee (2000) says: In the information age, traditional, paper-based accounting systems that showed financial position and results of operations for time periods in the past increasingly seem to be out of sync with current practices. Many economic events are now being captured, measured, recognized, and reported electronically, without any paper documentation; and online, real-time accounting is emerging as the system of choice. According to Sutton (2000) and Alles et al. (2000) information technology will be the key enabler for accounting information to become accessible on a real-time basis. In Finland the idea of a paperless accounting has been brought forward by authorized auditors, mainly Pauli Vahtera (Vahtera & Salmi, 1998), during the last decade. Paperless accounting is in this paper defined as a financial accounting, where transactions, accounting entries and data is received, transferred, dealt with and stored electronically without any printed source document. The revised Accounting Act in 1997 makes it possible to use technical data media in transferring, maintaining and storing accounting data in every aspect except for the Balance Book, which should be kept in printed form. In 2000 the Accounting Board issued more detailed guidelines for how to use electronic and technical possibilities in todays accounting. Hence, a paperless financial accounting system is legally allowed in Finland. When data can be transferred electronically between business partners, the need for printed documents will decrease. However, in the accounting department of a company, the consequences might be more extensive. According to the Accounting Board the use of automation will create a more efficient and reliable accounting as well as reduce the costs of accounting. Greater efficiency can be achieved by altering working methods and attitudes (Salmi & Vahtera, 1997). In spite of the technological possibilities available and the new regulations in the Accounting Act, the practical achievements towards a paperless accounting have been modest so far. Why? What do the accountants and the auditors think of the new electronic possibilities in accounting and what do they expect of the paperless accounting? There is little research to be found on this subject. This may be explained by the fact, that the technological possibilities in accounting have not been allowed and existed very long, and that available resources have been spent on the millennium and euro conversions during the last few years. On the other hand, the so-called paperless society was debated in the early stages of the computerized era, but ironically the paper usage has increased not only due to fast-growing computerization but also because paper is preferred by readers (Gottlieb, 1996). Research results from studies on EDM (Electronic Document Management) may be considered relevant to this issue. Komito (1998) states, that an increasing amount of research has shown, that the transition from paper documents to electronic documents is rarely smooth nor is the resulting system as effective as expected. Some of the problems arise from control issues, some from technical issues,

and some from training issues. Bodnar and Hopwood (2001) point out, that one problem with paperless systems is the possible loss of segregation of duties and audit trail. According to Elliot (1992) it could be stated, that the technological capabilities must be managed effectively, and that behavioral changes among personnel that harness the technologies are needed in order to achieve competitive advantage of the technology. The use of information technology is expected to be dependent on attitudes and perceptions about systems in general (Lucas, 1975). It is therefore important to understand how people decide whether they will use a particular technology. An attitude represents a persons general feeling of favorableness or unfavorableness toward some stimulus object (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975, p. 216). The factors contributing to the acceptance of the new technology are likely to vary with the technology, the individuals and the context. The first two objectives of this study are to provide a framework of how paperless accounting is regulated in Finland and to outline the existing technological possibilities in todays accounting as well as the present situation. The objectives of the empirical part are to study Finnish accountants and auditors attitudes towards a paperless accounting system as well as factors affecting those attitudes. Researchers have used two models as a theoretical foundation for research on the factors affecting the user acceptance of computer technology: Fishbein & Ajzens (1975) theory of reasoned action (TRA) and Davis et al.s (1989) technology acceptance model (TAM). The TRA model, based on the consumer behavior theory, suggests that beliefs are to form attitudes (Fishbein & Ajzen 1975). The TAM model adapted the generic TRA model but replaced the TRA models attitudinal determinants with two variables: perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. This study utilizes the TAM model. The external factors used in the study can be summarized as individual, institutional and technological. Individual factors included in this study are: age, level of education, tenure in workforce with the same task or similar tasks. The technological factors studied will be prior, similar experiences and use of technology as well as beliefs about the usefulness and ease of use of the new technology providing a paperless accounting. Institutional factors, based on the old institutional economist theory (Burns & Scapens, 2000) and the institutional isomorphism (DiMaggio & Powell, 1983) are also considered relevant. The general hypothesis of this study is, that a paperless accounting is not fully accepted in practice in Finland yet. It may seem fair to believe, that auditors might have a more positive belief of paperless accounting, as the technical possibilities may make their work easier and the accounting more reliable. Considering the fact that the paperless accounting will bring changes in the accountants manual routines and that their need for technological know-how will increase, the accountants might have a rather negative attitude towards paperless accounting. The acceptance of a paperless accounting may be a critical factor affecting the implementation and the use of electronic and technological methods in the accounting. A survey was conducted among accountants of bookkeeping agencies and auditors in order to provide evidence for the hypotheses. The questionnaires have been designed to ensure comparability of responses across both groups of survey participants as well as pretested by students, accountants and auditors. The statements in the questionnaire were mainly adopted from relevant prior studies, with minor wording changes to tailor them to this context. Individuals are asked to rate the statements according to how they feel about paperless financial accounting on a 7-point Likert-type scale, ranging from (1) strongly disagree to (7) strongly agree. Statistical tools will be used for the analyses. Any results of the empirical study are not yet available. The contribution of this study will be twofold. Firstly, the contribution of this study lies in the empirical analysis of the attitudes towards a paperless accounting. The results of the study may give some evidence on the intentions of the users and thus predict future use in accordance with Fishbein

and Ajzen (1975). Secondly, this study makes a contribution to the accounting research field by examining institutional factors and their role in the accounting change process. The contribution and the results of this study are subject to some limitations. Considering the time perspective it is important to conclude this study in a rather short time. As the technology and the use of it is changing, the results of the empirical part of the study will be true only for the time when the study was carried out. This fact will limit the usefulness of the results. It has also been taken for granted, that informal institutions exist and to the same extent in all organizations that are included in this study. REFERENCES Accounting Act (AA) / Kirjanpitolaki 1336 / 30.12.1997 Accounting Board / Kirjanpitolautakunta (2000): Yleisohje koneellisessa kirjanpidossa kytettvist menetelmist 22.5.2000 Alles, M., Kogan, A.& Vasarhelyi, M. A.(2000): Accounting in 2015. The CPA Journal, Nov, Vol 70, starting at p. 14 Bodnar, G.H. & Hopwood, W. S. (2001): Accounting information systems. 8th ed. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc. Burns, J. & Scapens, R. W. (2000): Conceptualising Management Accounting Change: An Institutional framework. Management Accounting Research, No 1, March, p. 3-25 Davis, F.D., Bagozzi, R. & Warshaw, P. (1989): User acceptance of computer technology: A comparison of two theoretical models, Management Science, No 8, August, p. 982-1003 DiMaggio, P.J. & Powell, W.W. (1983): The iron cage revisited: Institutional isomorphism and collective rationality in organisational fields. American Sociological Review, 48, p. 147-160 Elliot, R.K. (1992): The third wave breaks on the shores of accounting, Accounting Horizons, 6 (2), p. 61-85 Fishbein, M. & Ajzen, I. (1975): Belief, attitude, intention, and behavior: An Introduction to theory and research. Reading, Massachusetts. Addison-Wesley. Gottlieb, M. M. (1996): Electronic transactions: Their impact on financial reporting. International Advances in Economic Research, Vol 2, May, p.146-150 IFAC (2002): E-Business and the Accountant. March, http://www.ifac.org Komito, L. (1998): Paper work and electronic files: defending professional practice. Journal of Information Technology, Vol 13, p. 235-246 Lucas, H.C.(1975): Performance and the use of an information system, Management Science, Vol 21, no 8, p. 908-919 Rezaee, Z.(2000): Real-time accounting systems. The Internal Auditor, April, Vol 57, p. 62-67 Salmi, H & Vahtera P. (1997): INTERNET and EDI in effective accounting. Tilintarkastajien Kustannus Oy, Jyvskyl Sutton S.G (2000): The changing face of accounting in an information technology dominated world. International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, No 1, p. 1-8 Vahtera, P.& Salmi, H. (1998): Paperiton kirjanpito. Jyvskyl

Anda mungkin juga menyukai