A Discursive approach to developing the professional communication skills of accounting students

Accountants constitute a critical human resource in the global economy, yet their ability to communicate in multi-cultural settings is often called into question. While the accounting profession in Australia has long stressed the need for accountants to possess strong communication skills, research clearly shows that there is a considerable gap between the communication skills actually developed in accounting programs at Australian universities and those needed in the accounting workplace. The research reported in this paper focuses on the under-researched area of spoken communication skills needed by practising accountants.