Critical Analysis of a Scholarly Article - Book Report/Review Example

The main topic discussed in the article Closing the Accounting Talent Gap was that universities are not preparing their accounting adequately to deal with the job demands of the accounting profession in the 21st century. Accounting students have deficiencies in both hard and soft skills such as such as leadership, strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions, and risk management (Thompson, 2009). The purpose of the article was to create awareness that colleges and universities are not doing their job well.

One of the findings of the article was that students are ill prepared to work in auditing and tax positions. The main focus of most college accounting curriculums is in financial and managerial accounting. The logic used by the author throughout the article made a lot of sense. The article shows empirical evidence that most jobs in the accounting marketplace are in financial positions and managerial accounting. Due to this fact universities were focusing too much on the functions of accounting associated with these jobs.

The article strength was based on its good use of references to prove the points being made by the author. The author mentioned data and information to prove his points from the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA), American Accounting Association (AAA), and the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). The inclusion of these references added credibility to the author’s claims. The three headings used within the article were good since it provided a logical format to follow.

A weakness of the article was that a problem was identified, but alternative solutions were not provided to resolve the problem. A second weakness of the article was the conclusion. It lacked depth, analysis, and a summary of the main findings of the article. ReferencesThompson, J. (2009). Closing the Accounting Talent Gap. CPA Journal, 79(12). p13-14.