JOSE RIZAL MEMORIAL STATE UNIVERSITY

The Premiere University in Zamboanga Del Norte

Main Campus, Dapitan City
THE STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING
PROFESSION

A Research
Presented to
the Faculty of the College of Business and Accountancy
JOSE RIZAL MEMORIAL STATE UNIVERSITY
The Premier University in ZamboangadelNorte
Main Campus, Dapitan City

In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING

RONNEL CHRISTIAN E. RUBIO

REY A. NARANJO
CLAUBEN S. URBODA
March 2022

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iii
 ABSTRACT

This study analyzed the Student Perceptions of Management Accounting

Profession. The primary research instrument used to gather data was a semi-structured

questionnaire which was anchored by relevant studies as sources for its construction. The

queries contained in the questionnaire aimed to gather the different opinions and

perceptions of students on what Management Accounting is and its relevance as a

profession. Additionally, the study used MAXQDA software in facilitating interview

answers.

The researchers found that students were very knowledgeable on what

management accounting is. Students stated its major help for work environments.

Moreover, it has a competitive salary, and helps decision makers in making operational

decisions. The participants also stated that they view the profession as a possible

occupation in the future in which they stated that their reasons were personal and

practicality driven and as well as salaries and opportunities driven. Along with the

positive opinions came negative ones namely; lack of interest in the course, unpopularity

of its choice among college students.

Due to the findings, the researchers proposed that the university would have

seminars, club activities, and in general, a proper marketing of the course and profession

of Management Accounting. By doing so, the university would be able to produce more

quality graduates that would serve as stable foundations for businesses and their decision

making.

Keywords: perception, profession, interest, knowledgeable

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 DEDICATION

The researchers would like to dedicate this paper to the persons who gave their

full support to make this research a successful one.

This study is wholeheartedly dedicated to their beloved parents, who have been

their source of inspiration and gave strength, who continually provide their moral,

spiritual, emotional and financial support.

To their relatives, friends, mentor and classmates who shared their words of advice

and encouragement to finish this study.

And lastly, to Almighty God who serves as guidance and the source of strength,

power of mind, protection and skills and for giving them a healthy life.

THE RESEARCHERS

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 ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The researchers would like to extend their warmest thanks and gratitude to the
important persons behind this study, who contributed to the manuscript for without their
big contribution and support, this successful study would not be possible, to:
Daylinda Luz Laput, Ed. D., University President of JRMSU-Main Campus, for
favourable approval for the study;
Amiel B. Andias, DPA, DBA (CAR), Associate Dean of the College of Business
and Accountancy for his constant encouragement and motivation;
Lovelle P. Pallega, Ph.D. (CAR), Chairman, for her constructive criticisms and
productive ideas;
Anna Rhea Bureros, MBA (CAR), Vice-Chairman, for her concern and sharing
her expertise of the manuscript;
Jennifer B. Cabaron, DPA, Ph.D., Research Instructor, for her untiring efforts in
providing suggestions in enriching this study;
Janven Granfon, CPA, Adviser, for her undying patience and commitment in the
completion of the study, as well as being with us in the struggles that we had throughout
the study;
Sincere and heartfelt thanks to the Family Circle of the researchers,for their
undying support emotionally, intellectually, and financially, as well as for care and
encouragement, unconditional love and prayers.
Above all, to the Almighty God, the Owner of our life, for all the blessing, for
bestowing us the strength in doing good things especially during the time of making this
research, for without Him everything would not be possible.
Lastly, to the ALMA MATER of the researchers, Jose Rizal Memorial State
University-Main Campus, which molded us to become well-rounded and cultured
individuals.
To all of you, a sincere gratitude and thanks.

THE
RESEARCHERS

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

TITLE PAGE i

APPROVAL SHEET iii

ABSTRACT iv

DEDICATION v

ACKNOWLEDGMENT vi

TABLE OF CONTENTS vii

LIST OF TABLES ix

LIST OF FIGURES x

Chapter

1 THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE 1

Introduction 1

Theoretical Framework 2

Conceptual Framework 6

Statement of the Problem 7

Scope and Delimitations of the Study 7

Significance of the Study 8

Orientational Definition of Terms 9

2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 10

3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 19

Research Design 19

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 Research Environment 20

Research Participants 21

Research Instrument 22

Research Procedures 23

4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS 25

5 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS

AND RECOMMENDATIONS 46

Summary 46

Findings 46

Conclusions 49

Recommendations 50

REFERENCES 51

APPENDICES 56

A. Transmittal Letter 56

Invitation Letter 57

B. Survey Questionnaire Instrument 58

C. CURRICULUM VITAE 60

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 LIST OF TABLES

Table Page

1. General Views on Management Accounting 26

2. Value of Management Accounting in Businesses 35

3. A Possible Career 39

4. MAXQDA Analysis 59

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 LIST OF FIGURES

Figure Page

1 Conceptual Framework 6

x
 Chapter 1

The Problem and its Scope

Introduction

Stated by Krishnan (2020), “Managerial accounting, also called management

accounting, is a method of accounting that creates statements, reports, and documents

that help management in making better decisions related to their business‟ performance.

Managerial accounting is primarily used for internal purposes.” Furthermore, it is known

for its use for managers in the field to make sound business decisions as it does not only

constraints itself on the quantitative aspects of the business but also the qualitative parts

that make sense of the data. On the other hand, Financial Accounting as stated by

Averkamp (2020), “is a specialized branch of accounting that keeps track of a company's

financial transactions, using standardized guidelines, the transactions are recorded,

summarized, and presented in a financial report or financial statement such as an income

statement or a balance sheet”. He further adds that the statements are considered external

because they are given to people outside of the company, with the primary recipients

being owners/stockholders, as well as certain lenders. Both types of accounting work

together but in their own individual purposes; management accounting focuses on the

internal functions of the business, while financial accounting caters to the external

factors.

This study aimed to provide useful data as to how students perceive the profession

and perhaps additional data on their interests in a career. Perception is defined by Best

Masters in Psychology (2020): as way of regarding, understanding, or interpreting

something; a mental impression. We understand objects, situations, and people by using

all of our senses. Most people perceive everything differently and this study is centered

on the idea of providing useful and attainable information about how students view

Management Accounting as a profession.

This research was anchored by past studies that were similar or is related to its

topic. With this study; the researchers hoped to provide first hand statements of the views

that the participants may have on Management Accounting. This study also tried to

clarify certain aspects of the topic that some people may be confused on. With a scarce

amount of information on how students view managerial accounting; this research

provided necessary insights that tried to add and serve as future reference for studies

similar to it.

This study was about the Student Perceptions of Management Accounting

Profession in Jose Rizal Memorial State University, Main Campus. This topic piqued the

interest of the researchers as they were undergraduates in BS Management Accounting.

The researchers were also curious as to how the students under the College of Business

and Accountancy in the university perceive the profession.

Theoretical Framework

The studies cited in this chapter have anchored the current research by providing

relevant theories that helped the researchers strengthen their claims stated in their

analysis of the data provided by the participants.

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Help in Business Decision Making

The following theory was taken from the study Role of Management Accounting

in Managerial the Decision Making of Enterprises (Saremi and Nejad, 2013)

Managerial accounting provides the essential data with which the organizations

are actually run. Managerial accounting is also termed as management accounting or cost

accounting. Financial accounting provides the scorecard by which a company's overall

past performance is judged by outsiders. Managerial accountants prepare a variety of

reports. Some reports focus on how well managers or business units have performed-

comparing actual results to plans and to benchmarks. Some reports provide timely,

frequent updates on key indicators such as orders received, order backlog, capacity

utilization, and sales. Other analytical reports are prepared as needed to investigate

specific problems such as a decline in the profitability of a product line. And yet other

reports analyze a developing business situation or opportunity. In contrast, financial

accounting is oriented towards producing a limited set of specific prescribed annual and

quarterly financial statements in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting

Principles (GAAP).

Many factors can influence or come into play when college students choose a

career path. Students will typically take into account the quality of life they want when

they are older. Factors such as interest in field, academic ability, familiarity, economic

stability, and influential people can all play a role in the decision.

The following theories are found in the study Factors Influencing Choice of

Career and Major (Fizer, 2013).

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Interest in Field- Some students grow up knowing what they want to do in life. These

are the students who will go the extra mile to reach their dream job. However, students

often settle on a different path due to many factors they can‟t control. Students will

research their chosen career path and explore everything about it. The salary and benefits

of that job do not play a role in this decision. In a research study the factor “match with

interest” rated over job characteristics, major attributes, and psychological and social

benefits in importance when students choose a major (Beggs et al., 2008). Students will

seek out schools that are well known for that major or trade.. Most students today are

more concerned with the amount of money they can earn. However, there are a few

students who pursue their dreams (Mcglynn, 2007).

Personality- Personality is another important factor in career choice. Studies have shown

that students will choose a major that they think will fit their personality type (Mihyeon,

2009).The confidence that a student possessed can determine how far a student will go

with their education. Students who believe in themselves have more confidence and are

more likely to go for what they want instead of settling for something that is comfortable.

The personality of students can also play a role in choosing a major. According to

studies, students who have an investigative personality are more likely to major in

science fields. Students with an artistic personality are more likely to major in arts and in

interdisciplinary fields. Students who are very social people are more likely to major in

the social sciences (Porter and Umbach, 2006).

Economic Stability- Many students believe that to live a comfortable lifestyle, they need

to be economically stable. When these students look into a major or a career path, they

seek out the higher salary jobs or they look for majors that involve the most job security

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(Wildman and Torres, 2002). The 11 financial aspects that students consider include high

earning potential, benefits, and opportunities for advancement (Beggs et al., 2008). Given

the current economy, and American culture, many students think they need a high paying

job to make it in society these days. Along with stability during their career, some

students may even look ahead to retirement. Students want to make sure they are secure

for the rest of their lives, and may look into careers that have benefits to help them in the

long run (Wildman and Torres, 2002).

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Conceptual Framework

Figure 1, Conceptual Framework

Students‟
Management
Accounting
Profession

Perceptions

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Statement of the Problem

This study aimed to document the Student Perceptions of Management

Accounting Profession in Jose Rizal Memorial State University, Main Campus.

Specifically, this study sought insights into the following questions.

1. What are the general views that students have on management accounting?

2. How do students value the importance of management accounting in business?

3. Do students consider management accounting as a possible career?

Scope and Limitations of the Study

The research respondents were taken from the population of third year college

students from Jose Rizal Memorial University, Main Campus. To be more specific, 10

accountancy students and 10 management accounting students were originally planned to

be interviewed for a total of 20 overall respondents. The population was chosen for the

convenience and the comfort of doing the research on university grounds.

The study was conducted amidst the COVID-19 pandemic which made it

challenging to conduct personal interviews with the participants. The researchers adopted

and conducted the interviews through the means of an online platform. The desired

participants were originally 20 but ended up being just 11 management accounting

students because of the various circumstances that some of the participants stated due to

the pandemic.

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Significance of the Study

Listed here were the stakeholders of the study. The beneficiaries stated were the

people that benefited from the data and findings that the research provided.

To the Students

The students benefited this study since it provided information useful for their

future endeavours. This study aimed to clarify certain aspects about Management

Accounting that students may have been confused with. This study also provided first-

hand insights from participants hence the students could relate to because the former

were their peers from the College of Business and Accountancy.

To the Teachers

This study aimed to benefit the teachers by providing necessary insights from

their students. The information that this research provided contained the perceptions,

presumptions, and interest that the students had on Management Accounting as a

profession. By giving the instructors insights that came directly from the participants

themselves, the researchers hoped that the former could have a better understanding

towards their students and their preferences

To the College of Business and Accountancy

The department benefited from this study for the reason that the latter provided

insights from participants regarding one of the majors offered by the former. With this

study the researchers hoped to enhance the knowledge of the students and report the

findings to the teachers within the department. By the information that will be gathered

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and provided by this research; the students had a better understanding about potentially

one of their future professions, the instructors also benefited from the insights provided

by the participants, and the department had an easier time connecting with the students on

at least one major.

Orientational Operation of Terms

Perceptions- referred to how the participants felt about Management Accounting

as a profession.

Management Accounting- referred to the profession that the researchers sought

perceptions from the participants about.

JRMSU (Jose Rizal Memorial State University, Main Campus) - referred to the

university where the study was held.

CBA (College of Business and Accountancy) – referred to the department where

the participants were extracted from.

Participants- referred to the students enrolled in the Management Accounting

course.

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 Chapter 2

Review of Related Literature

This research aimed to provide first-hand accounts from students on how they

perceived management accounting as a profession. This research not only dwelled on

their interest in becoming a management accountant but as well as their general view on

the topic and the importance of the work in a business. This chapter provided different

sources from past researches that is similar to the context of this study. The chapter also

provided basis for further studies into this topic.

Introduction to Management Accounting.

Ghanbari and Vaseli (2015) , Management accounting is a branch of accounting

which is designed to meet the internal planning and information needs of managers and

provides a variety of information on different operational and financial issues. This

information which is provided in the form of detailed reports, are interpreted, translated

and used by managers and other users. Of course, it should be noted that the success of

management accounting depends on the extent of improvement in the decision-making of

accounting managers, after accounting information are provided for them. Therefore,

provision of this information alone, cant assist managers in conduction of their duties, but

the provided information should have some features (e.g. relevance, timeliness, accuracy,

importance, comparability) that managers uses them in the decision-making process.

Krishnan (2020) added, the main objective of managerial accounting is to

maximize profit and minimize losses. It is concerned with the presentation of data to

predict inconsistencies in finances that help managers make important decisions. Its
scope is quite vast and includes several business operations. As stated by the sources,

management accounting is essential to any business as it provides avenues in making the

right decisions.

Furthermore, Ghanbari and Vaseli (2015) emphasized that the main objective of

management accounting is to help the organization achieve strategic objectives. The

realization of these objectives, will fulfill the needs of customers and other stakeholders.

As a result, by achieving these goals, organizations can find their proper position and

distinguish themselves from other competitors. To satisfy the customers and compete

with other producers, three elements of quality, cost and time should be simultaneously

stressed on. The three elements, form a strategic triangle which differs from one

organization to another, or from one product to another product.

Quality: is the overall customer experience of a product and includes physical

characteristics (facilities, flexibility), services (after-sale service and after-sales

performance of services).

Cost: includes the resources expended by producers and their supporting organizations,

including suppliers and dealers. Production costs covers all the costs of production and

the cost of after-sales services.

Time: refers to the time taken for delivery of products demanded by customers demand or

the time that the company spends to manufacture products in accordance with customer

demands and release them to the market.

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Relationship between Management and Financial Accounting

He also added a correlation between financial accounting and managerial

accounting by stating that, the management accounting system usually feeds into the

financial accounting system. In particular, the product costing system is usually used to

help determine inventory balance sheet amounts, and the cost of sales for the income

statement.

Caplan (2006) stated, the field of accounting consist of three broad subfields:

financial accounting, management accounting, and auditing. This classification is user-

oriented. Financial accounting is concerned with communicating accounting information

to external parties. Management accounting is concerned with generating accounting

information for managers and other employees to assist them in performing their jobs.

Financial accounting uses historical information, not because investors are interested in

the past, but rather because it is easier for accountants and auditors to agree on what

happened in the past than to agree on management‟s predictions about the future.

Management accounting, on the other hand, serves an entirely different audience, with

different needs. Managers need detailed information about their part of the organization,

so management accounting provides detailed information tailored for specific users. Also,

managers must make decisions, sometimes on a daily basis, that affect the future of the

business, and they need the best predictions of the future that are available as input in

those decisions, no matter how subjective those estimates are.

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 He further explained that because many students taking management accounting

have just completed a course in financial accounting, it is useful to examine the ways in

which management accounting differs from financial accounting

Discrepancy in the Interest of Management Accounting course as compared to other

accounting courses.

Though management accounting is really essential for the success of any

business, the interest for it is not as high as one might expect. Stated by Warrick et al.

(2010) in their study of junior and senior accounting students at a southern public

university in the USA, found that most students (about 76%) were interested in pursuing

the Certified Public Accountant (CPA), rather than CMA, in which only 12% indicated

their interest to pursue after graduation. To further discussion of the discrepancy of

interest, Joshi et al. (2008) found that most respondents, of their exploratory study of

Bahrain's accounting and auditing professionals, prefer and hold the CPA certificate with

44%, only 6% of respondents hold the CMA certificate, and none the CIMA certificate.

A study in Jordan by Hutaibat (2005) found that both CMA and CIMA were not popular

and attractive to the profession at all. This is evident by the findings of his study, which

showed that none of the accountant respondents of the 133 large and medium Jordanian

manufacturing companies hold such professional certificates. Furthermore, His study also

found that the American CPA was the most commonly held professional accounting

qualification in respondent companies, followed by the Jordanian Certified Public

Accountant (JCPA) qualification. Hutaibat found that the majority (56%) of respondents

considered the level of development of management accounting profession in Jordan as a

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„low‟ and „very low‟ level of development and only 8% considered it as a „high‟ level of

development.

A contradicting study by Pratama (2017) found that for the accounting career

choices, most of the respondents chose management accounting as their career, and in

total 205 students (77.65%) chose either management or public accountancy as a career.

In addition, a total of 59 students (22.35%) did not choose either public or management

accountant professions. Although studies like these are rare in terms of showing more

interest in management accounting profession.

In general, there is less emphasis on the interest in the management accounting

profession as compared to the financial accounting profession, which might be justified

by the two main differentiating factors: managerial accounting is meant for internal use,

for instance in support of planning, directing and motivating, controlling and

performance evaluation purposes, and it is optional, except for cost calculations, such as

production cost (Hopper et al., 2007). This can be argued as management accounting

focuses on how to properly make the right decision in a business and it is therefore

cannot be considered optional.

Importance of Management Accounting in an Organization.

Caplan (2006) states that management accounting is the process of measuring and

reporting information about economic activity within organizations, for use by managers

in planning, performance evaluation, and operational control:

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Planning: For example, deciding what products to make, and where and when to make

them. Determining the materials, labor, and other resources that are needed to achieve

desired output. In not-for-profit organizations, deciding which programs to fund.

Performance evaluation: Evaluating the profitability of individual products and product

lines. Determining the relative contribution of different managers and different parts of

the organization. In not-for-profit organizations, evaluating the effectiveness of

managers, departments and programs.

Operational control: For example, knowing how much work-in-process is on the factory

floor, and at what stages of completion, to assist the line manager in identifying

bottlenecks and maintaining a smooth flow of production.

Factors that affect the career perceptions of students

The following Sources were from “THE STUDY OF CAREER PERCEPTION

OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN JAPAN AND JAPANESE COMPANIES” by

Angel (2012).

Career Maturity – Super(1973) defines Career Maturity as the readiness to cope with the

development task of one‟s life stage, to make socially required career decisions, and to

cope with the tasks appropriately with which society confronts the developing youth and

adult (Super, 1973b).

Career Adaptability – The concept of a constellation of career attitudes and competences

which generate career-decision-making readiness exists in adult development (Super,

1981).

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Self-Efficacy – The belief in one‟s capabilities to organize and execute the courses of

action required to manage prospective situations (Bandura, 1995).

Career Change – In this paper, changing from a company to another voluntarily is

defined as Career Change. Career Change is a new scope of research in career theory,

many scholars are trying to find out the factors which contribute to an individual to make

a Career Change. According to Kanchier & Unruh (1989), “Personal and demographic

characteristics”, “Transition period of life-cycle”, “Work values, job satisfaction and

other job attitudes” are factors that lead to Career Change. Smart & Peterson (1997) tried

to apply Super‟s career stage theory to the topic of Career Change, while Kidd (1998)

suggested “emotion” as a factor contributes to Career Change.

These career concepts are investigated in the research of international students to

understand their career perceptions.

Factors that affect the perceptions of accounting students in towards their future

profession

The following sources were taken from the study “What Influences Accounting

Student‟s Attitudes towards the Accounting Profession- A North West Experience”,

Molloy (2009).

A Study carried out by Noland et al. (2003) found that student‟s choosing a career

in accounting considered the following important factors; long-term salary opportunities,

starting salary and prestige of the profession. This is consistent with Simons et al. (2003)

who concluded that the most important factors a student considered when choosing a

major were; financial rewards (with long term earnings outweighing initial earnings), job

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availability, and interest in the major/career. A study conducted by Galotti and Kozberg

(1987) listed the following four factors as the most important in influencing students

when selecting a college major; how much I care about the subject, something with good

career opportunities, something I will do well in, what I want to do with this major after

college

A number of studies have also indicated that job satisfaction is important in

accounting students career choice (Ahmed et al. 1997, Auyeung and Sands 1997).

Jackling and Calero (2006) found that enjoyment of the subject plays a significant part in

the choice of major decision. This finding is supported by the work of Saemann and

Crooker (1999) who also found that students are more likely to pursue accounting when

they considered the subject interesting and enjoyable. As well as the factors mentioned

above Galotti (1999) also mentions that parental advice and influence plays a significant

part in the student‟s choice of major. This is consistent with the work of Cangelosi et al.

(1985) and Harrison (1998) who find that it is not only students own perceptions that

affect their career decision but also the perceptions of those around them i.e. by an

accounting lecturer from college, by parents or by friends.

A survey carried out by Smith (2005) found that accounting instructors have a

strong influence on the student‟s decision to pursue further studies in accounting. The

research also found that students are likely to be influenced by their family. A 20

significant portion of those surveyed choose to major in accounting because they knew an

accountant.

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Synthesis and Research Gap

Studies that were found and synthesized contained the following themes that were

used in the research namely: (1) Introduction to Management Accounting, (2)

Relationship between Management and Financial Accounting, (3) Discrepancy in the

Interest of Management Accounting course as compared to other accounting courses, (4)

Importance of Management Accounting in an Organization, , (5) Factors that affect the

career perceptions of students, (6) Factors that affect the perceptions of accounting

students in towards their future profession. Gap in the studies conducted in relation with

this thesis was the relative lack of qualitative studies that aimed to connect with how the

participants perceived management accounting on a personal level. The studies found

were usually done through quantitative means that limits how well the participants truly

understand and perceive management accounting as a profession.

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 Chapter 3

Research Methodology

Research methodology is the specific procedures or techniques used to identify,

select, process, and analyze information about a topic. In a research paper, the

methodology section allows the reader to critically evaluate a study‟s overall validity and

reliability (https://libguides.wits.ac.za/research-support). The following chapter discussed

the research design, environment, respondents, instruments, validation of said

instruments, and the procedures as to how the data will be gathered and used.

Research Design

This study was an exploratory qualitative type which uses qualitative

methodology in acquiring and interpreting data. Shank (as cited by Ospina 2004), defined

qualitative research as “a form of systematic empirical inquiry into meaning” (p. 5). In

systematic definition, it means “planned, ordered and public”, following rules agreed

upon by members of the qualitative research community. By empirical, he means that this

type of inquiry is grounded in the world of experience. Inquiry into meaning says

researchers try to understand how others make sense of their experience. Denzin and

Lincoln (as cited by Ospina 2004), claimed that qualitative research involves an

interpretive and naturalistic approach: “This means that qualitative researchers study

things in their natural settings, attempting to make sense of, or to interpret, phenomena in

terms of the meanings people bring to them” (p. 3).

 Exploratory research is defined as an investigation into a problem that is not well

defined. It is conducted to gain a better understanding of the current situation, but will not

yield conclusive results. For this type of research, the researcher begins with a broad

concept and uses it to identify issues that can be the subject of future research. A critical

aspect of this is that the researcher should be willing to alter his or her course of action in

response to the discovery of new data or insight. Typically, this type of research is

conducted when the problem is in its infancy. It is frequently referred to as grounded

theory or interpretive research because it is used to address what, why, and how.

(https://www.questionpro.com/blog/exploratory-research/)

Student Perceptions of Management Accounting Profession in Jose Rizal

Memorial State University, Main Campus was a qualitative case study that aimed to

provide the analysis of the thoughts, ideas, and attitude of the participants towards the

topic. The design was chosen by the researchers as they deemed it to be the most

appropriate and suited for the cause. Thus, this had met the standards of choosing and

conducting research methodology as it sought to find insights, thoughts, and perceptions

on management accounting as a profession. Furthermore, the researchers thought that the

qualitative methodology will be a better fit for the study than the quantitative one since it

could dig a little bit more into the thoughts and answers of the research participants.

Research Environment

The research locale would be the CBA department of Jose Rizal Memorial

University, Main Campus, located in Santa Cruz Dapitan City. The department is usually

lively with some students studying and learning, talking to their companions, some with

20
different fields of specialization and other with the same course, or just concentrating

other responsibilities. The locale is deemed suitable as the desired research participants

are usually found there in their spare time and that is where the researchers hope them to

be at their convenience. The department is a colored white, two-story building that

houses rooms for lectures, the faculty office, student government offices, and a little food

court in the ground floor where the students gather around in their free time to get snacks

or hang with their friends.

Research Participants

The research participants were taken from the population of third and fourth year

college students from Jose Rizal Memorial University, Main Campus. The samples or the

actual respondents were taken from those enrolled in their third year of Management

Accounting. A total of 11 Participants enrolled in the course were taken as participants

and were interviewed for the purposes of this research. The population was chosen for the

convenience and the comfort of doing the research on university grounds. The reason for

choosing students who were considered to be in their senior years in college is because

the researchers wanted to find answers regarding the topic from those with sufficient

knowledge and understanding on what management accounting as a profession was.

The sampling method for this study was the purposive sampling. According to

Lavrakas (2008), Purposive sampling, also known as expert or judgmental sampling, is a

type of nonprobability sampling. A purposive sample's primary objective is to generate a

sample that can be reasonably assumed to be representative of the population. This is

frequently accomplished by utilizing expert knowledge of the population to randomly

21
select a sample of elements that represents a cross-section of the population. Since the

research is about gaining detailed insights on management accounting; the researcher

deemed it to be the most effective method of taking samples from the population. The

participants were chosen based on the following criteria; on their third year in their

management accounting and accountancy courses and has sufficient knowledge on what

management accounting is.

Research Instrument

To gather detailed and precise data from the respondents, the researcher used

interviews together with a guide questionnaire as the primary instruments. Interviews

with the participants were designed for the purpose of making them feel comfortable

which increased the chances of gaining the desired responses for the cause of this

research. The guide questionnaire that accompanied the interviews was composed of

open ended questions that sought answers as to the general views that they had on

management accounting, the perceived importance of the topic in businesses, and the

possibility of them considering managerial accounting as their future profession. The

questions were open ended ones designed to obtain more information from the

respondents. Past studies like this used quantitative methodologies and failed to dig

deeper into the reasons of why students perceive management accounting the way they

do. With that in mind, the researchers designed the interview and the guide

questionnaires that those past studies could not.

The instruments, more specifically the guide questionnaires, were designed to

answer the specific questions stated in the statement of the problem and anchored by past

22
studies that are similar to this one and can be found in chapter two or the review of

related literature of this research.

Research Procedures

The researcher asked for the permission and time of the subject to conduct the

interviews. Once permission is granted the interviews officially started. Due to the

pandemic and the strict protocols imposed, the researchers and their participants could

not actually interact in person so the interviews were conducted through calls.

The interviews were designed to gain first-hand information from the respondents

themselves. These interviews focused on obtaining information that would otherwise be

unobtainable by means of a survey. The researchers also aimed to make the experience as

fun and comfortable as possible for the respondents to increase the chances of acquiring

factual responses from them.

The period for the interviews lasted for a couple of months due to the difficulty of

getting in touch with the participants due to these trying times. The timeframe ensured

the proper treatment and interpretation of the data provided by the respondents. The

actual interviews lasted for 20 to 30 minutes which provided enough time for the

researchers to establish rapport and gain the desired responses from the interviewees.

Necessary findings were gathered and organized, ready for the next part of the research

procedure.

Schema analysis was used for this research. As stated by (Rapport et al., 2018)

Schema analysis is a novel, qualitative data analysis technique that uses a summative

approach to make sense of complex, nuanced, textual data. It aims to ensure that key

23
features of a text, or “essential elements,” are revealed before any interpretation of those

key elements takes place, based on the assertion that data should be handled in a

principled, informed, and strategic manner to achieve phenomenal clarity. Teamwork is a

central element of schema analysis, enabling researchers to effectively co-create meaning

across disciplinary boundaries through consensus-driven strategies. The research team‟s

shared accountability for interpretive decisions is clearly linked to a study‟s original

questions and the research team‟s desire to be rigorous in their collaborative stance and

equally vocal. Since this research had the researchers interpreting the answers that the

participants will produce then this type of analysis was deemed to be the most

appropriate.

24
 Chapter 4

Results and Discussions

This chapter presented the findings that the researchers have gathered from their

participants. The answers were obtained using interviews that were done online due to the

pandemic where the researchers cannot personally go and gather the information

themselves. This research tackled how students perceived Management Accounting as a

profession.

Student Perceptions of Management Accounting Profession was a study that

concerned itself on how students regard the importance of the work of a management

accountant. The research aimed to gather relevant first-hand information regarding the

topic from participants so that the researchers could then analyse, interpret which then

provided as the basis in making conclusions about their findings. A total of 11

participants were selected using the purposive sampling method wherein the researchers

chose who to interview that fits a certain criteria that they were looking for. The

researchers held their biases before conducting the interviews so that they would not

corrupt the findings and thus then report them in their rawest form. The answers stated in

this chapter will be the focal point for the next step in understanding the perceptions of

students regarding management accounting and its importance.

The analysis for every table follows. The first table presents the open- ended

questions. The remaining tables are the answers provided by the interviews conducted

which were divided into three separate themes that answered the questions on their

statement of the problem.

Table 1

General Views on Management Accounting

Open Code Category Theme

1. Improve Operational Efficiency

2. Track Income and Expenses

Aid for Business

3. Helpful in Making Business Decisions Operation

Positive

4. Demand in the real world with the assurance Views

of employment

5. Accounting is known to be one of the most Employment

trust-worthy professions Opportunities

6. Passion in the field

7. A second option

8. Social Stigma Lack of Interest

9. Complicated Course Negative

10. Unfamiliar to students Views

11. Some students purposefully fail the course. Unpopular Choice

12. Underestimating the course and profession.

26
Students' views on management accounting

This theme is an important aspect in determining how the students perceive

management accounting. This was primarily the focus of the interview which helped the

researchers to identify the different perceptions of the participants with regards to

management accounting. This was divided into: (i) Positive views and (ii) Negative

Views. The summary of the theme and its categories from the participants' responses

were discussed below.

Positive Views

This principally referred to as the students' favorable views towards management

accounting. This was divided into three categories: (i) Aid for business and (ii)

Employment opportunities

Aid for Business Operation

The participants interviewed were third and fourth year management accounting

students of Jose Rizal Memorial State University - Main Campus. Participant 1,

Participant 2, Participant 7, Participant 8, and Participant 9 were among those who

provided information about the importance of management accounting in the business

field and further explained how it contributed in the decision making made within the

business. They were asked how important the management accounting profession is in

business. Their responses were captured in the following statements:

Participant 1 : Managerial accounting enables managers in making operational

decisions aimed at improving the company's operational efficiency, as well as

long-term investment decisions.

27
 Participant 2 : Management accounting profession in business is important

because it helps you track income and expenditure.

Participant 7: Management accountants provide key insights that help a

company's management team make many of their decisions.

Participant 8 : Management Accounting profession is so important in businesses

for it gives you better understanding and estimates how every peso generated

income affects your business and its function.

Participant 9 : The importance of management accounting in business, which

involves providing accounting information to managers within businesses, and

enabling these managers to manage, make decisions and perform control

functions.

In relation to the question raised, all the participants mentioned above have

answered it and imparted their knowledge and understanding of how the management

accounting profession positively impacts the business organization. They provided deeper

insights on how managerial accounting or management accounting professionals track the

company's cash inflows and outflows, and how they contribute in making business

decisions.

Specifically, Participant 1 clearly stated how management accounting positively

impacts the operational decisions of the manager. This would also further affects the

long-term investment decisions that will definitely improve the company's performance

in terms of financial or in all aspects. Participant 2 also pointed out that management

accounting profession helps track the income that the company will generate in a period

of time and the expenditures. These information will also provide ideas for the managers

28
in making decisions. Participant 7, Participant 8 and Participant 9 have also shared ideas

that explains how management accounting helps in making decisions.

The management accounting profession was generally viewed by the participants

to be an important part of any business establishment. Management accountants help

businesses by providing their work such as being risk managers, budgeters, planners,

strategists, and decision-makers that help the managers, board of directors, and the owner

in making strategic decisions. Management accountants (Fontinelle, 2021) may also

identify trends and opportunities for improvement, analyze and manage risk, arrange the

funding and financing of operations, and monitor and enforce compliance. It cannot be

stressed enough how important management accountants are in the daily operations,

goals, and future success and achievements of the firm. The participants being in the

accounting department were very knowledgeable in the role and importance of

management accounting and the profession as is evident by their statements.

Employment Opportunities

The participants showed their willingness to learn the program and they're always

ready for any challenges that may come. They also shared different factors that pushed

them in choosing the program. Participant 1, Participant 3, Participant 7, Participant 9,

and Participant 10 are among those who have shown their willingness and dedication in

taking the program. They were asked what drove or what factors they do consider in

choosing a career in accounting. Their responses were noted in the following statements:

Participant 1 : I think it is because of the intellectual drive or seeing this course

difficult and the assumptions if how much this programs cost.

29
 Participant 3 : Passion, determination and the will to do so which means not

being force by the society.

Participant 7 : Passion, Salary and experience.

Participant 9 : The factors that affect this decision include family, passion,

salary. Accountants are respected business professionals, and accounting is

known to be one of the most trustworthy professions.

Participant 10 : The level of difficulty, the demand in the real world and the

assurance to be employed.

Based on the responses above, the main driving factors that students have in

choosing the career are the possible opportunities that they can get in the foreseeable

future and the competitive salary that they can get. Participant 7, Participant 9 and

Participant 10 clearly illustrated that salary is one of the factors that drives them to pursue

the profession. With the knowledge and skills that they can get, there is an assurance that

in the future a lot of opportunities will come and this further suggests that there is an

assurance to get employed and for them to have a stable job. The factors suggesting their

interest in the profession was thoroughly explained in table 3.

Furthermore, the answers that the participants gave were consistent with various

studies regarding the topic. A Study carried out by Noland et al. (2003) found that

student‟s choosing a career in accounting considered the following factors important;

long-term salary opportunities, starting salary and prestige of the profession. This is

consistent with Simons et al. (2003) who concluded that the most important factors a

student considered when choosing a major were; financial rewards (with long term

earnings outweighing initial earnings), job availability, and interest in the major/career. A

30
number of studies have also indicated that job satisfaction is important in accounting

students career choice (Ahmed et al. 1997, Auyeung and Sands 1997). Jackling and

Calero (2006) found that enjoyment of the subject plays a significant part in the choice of

major decision. This finding is supported by the work of Saemann and Crooker (1999)

who also found that students are more likely to pursue accounting when they considered

the subject interesting and enjoyable. As well as the factors mentioned above Galotti

(1999) also mentions that parental advice and influence plays a significant part in the

student‟s choice of major. This is consistent with the work of Cangelosi et al. (1985) and

Harrison (1998) who find that it is not only students own perceptions that affect their

career decision but also the perceptions of those around them i.e. by an accounting

lecturer from college, by parents or by friends.

Negative Views

This principally referred to the students' unfavourable views towards management

accounting. This is divided into two categories: (i) Lack of interest and (ii) Unpopular

choice

Lack of Interest

Different people have different preferences, a thing might be good to them but it

is not to the others. Though students are currently taking the program but they still

showed disinterest towards it or it was just the other option that they have considered.

Participant 1, Participant 3 and Participant 11 were asked by the researchers if they would

be surprised if the researcher told them that there is less interest in management

accounting among students. Their responses were noted in the following statements:

31
 Participant 1 : I don't know since but maybe MA is a second option for students

most especially those students who aims to take the Accountancy program.

Participant 3 : Nope, not surprised at all. Knowing pinoys and older gens, they

believe earning a license is from your course is the greatest academic

achievement of all pushing their kids to take up courses with board exam and

belittle those, they believe courses without board exams earns less.

Participant 11: No. management accounting is not a hard-core math but it needs

more mental ability and critical skills in analyzing and absorbing the real-word

quantities like financials and money. That's why some students do not have

interest in this course because it's complicated.

Most of the participants were not surprised at all while only a few were when we

told them that there is evidently less interest in management accounting despite its

undeniable importance in its role in the success or failure of a business. A study by

(Hutaibat, 2012) states that the most attractive professional accounting qualification was

the JCPA with 80% (mean = 3.79) of respondents being interested to gain this

qualification.

The American certificate (CPA) was the second most attractive qualification with

71% (mean = 3.49) of students being interested, compared to only 45% (mean = 2.94) of

respondent being interested in the British certificate (ACCA). The author further

exemplified the discrepancy of interest between being a Certified Public Accountant and

a Certified Management Accountant by stating in his book that hat the minority of

students were interested in management accounting qualifications, such as the American

certificate (CMA) with 32% (mean =2.78) and the British certificate (CIMA) with only

32
19% (mean = 2.34). The Arabic certificate (ACPA) was also not popular among

accounting students with only 20% (mean = 1.81) of respondents being interested in it.

Though the study is from a different country, it still provided very insightful data on the

amount of interest that students have on management accounting.

Unpopular Choice

Among the participants interviewed were all coming from third year Bachelor of

Science in Management Accounting of Jose Rizal Memorial State University - Main

Campus. Participant 1, Participant 3 and Participant 6 were asked if they think that

management accounting does not interest undergraduates as much as being CPA or being

Financial Accountant. The responses were captured in the following statements:

Participant 1 : Because maybe it is not really familiar to students.

Participant 3 : I’m not even surprised that some students intend to fail some

participants because they don’t like the course, just their parents decision

because it sounded nice in their ears to soon hear their kids name with the label

CPA at the end.

Participant 6 : Because they underestimate management accounting because

they think that MA is an easy course without knowing in working abroad with

this profession has big potential.

The question was designed to gather answers for why the participants perceive

management accounting as having less interest when compared to courses like

accountancy. Their answers ranged from family reasons, societal reasons, degree of

difficulty, job opportunities, and even the uncertainties that students may have when

choosing 6k,a course. The degree of difficulty between accountancy and management

33
accounting varies from students; some might perceive the former to be a lot difficult

while others may say otherwise. Some participants also highlighted the fact that students

may have some doubts and uncertainties when choosing a course which may contribute

to them having less interest in the course. However, points such as family, society, and

job opportunities are consistent with (Hutaibat, 2012) in his study which provides that the

most important factor having discouraged their interest in the management accounting

profession among accounting students is the influence of job opportunities and income

and that the second important factor having influenced their interest is their family and

friends opinion. While having a job once a student graduates is an important factor to

consider; however, family and societal influences are also crucial and especially so in the

country where tight bonds with family members are prevalent.

34
Table 2

Value of Management Accounting in Businesses

Open Code Category Theme

1. Aimed to help managers make well

informed decisions Profession

2. Plays a vital role in running businesses and Values

decision making.

3. Specialize in cash disbursements Aid for Decision

4. Identify trends, feasibility, and stability of Business Makers

the business Values

5. Provides financial and statistical

information

Students value the importance of management accounting in business.

This was important in deciding how students view the role of management

accounting in business. This was the primary focus of the interview, which assisted the

researchers in determining the diverse perspectives of the participants regarding the

importance of management accounting in business. This was categorized into two parts

(i) Profession Values and (ii) Business Values: . The open code and category resulted in

the formulation of the theme which I discussed below.

35
Aid for Decision Makers

This primarily pertained to the students' perceptions on how MA benefits the

business. The theme was then categorized into two which are discussed in the following.

Profession Values

Management accounting as a profession provides values to a workplace,

according to the participants. Participant 1, and Participant9 are among those who have

expressed an opinion on how management accounting might benefit the business area.

They were asked, "Do you believe management accounting benefits businesses in any

way?" If so, why or why not? Their responses were noted in the following statements:

Participant 1: Yes, because it is aimed at helping managers within the

organization make well-informed business decisions.

Participant 9: Yes. Management Accounting plays a vital role in running a

business because it helps you track income and expenditures, management, and

government with quantitative financial information which can be used in making

business decisions.

When asked if management accounting benefits the organization where it is used,

the participants generally decided that it does. Managers use accounting information to

better inform themselves before making decisions within their organizations in

management accounting or managerial accounting, allowing them to manage better and

perform control functions. It assists management in carrying out all of its functions, such

as planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling. In other words, it is the

36
branch of accounting that provides economic and financial information to managers and

other internal users.

The statements gathered are consistent with (Mehrdad Ghanbari, 2015)

that stated; the main objective of management accounting is to help the

organization achieve strategic objectives. In order to achieve the goals of an

organization, they need to have a concrete system to do so. Management

accounting is (Mehrdad Ghanbari, 2015) not regarded as a set of fixed rules;

however, its methods helps achieve organizational goals through improved

decision-making by managers and its employees. When the top decision makers

in the organization have access to relevant and timely information, the firm itself

then benefits as it will improve its strategies and plans for the future. The

information that management accountants provide include (Fontinelle, 2021)

crunching numbers, helping to choose and manage company investments, risk

management, budgeting, planning, strategizing, and decision making. With

these, management accounting (Mehrdad Ghanbari, 2015) applies both real

information and estimated data to help managers in daily operations and

planning for future operations which will in turn benefit the firm and its

ventures.

Business Values

Management Accounting also adds values to the business, Participant 2,

Participant4, Participant 7, and Participant 8 are among those who stated that the

37
profession provides values to the business. Their responses when asked, if the profession

provided any advantages in the business in general, are as follows:

Participant 2: Yes, because management accounting provide financial and

statistical information.

Participant 4: Yes, it helps a lot since they know how your cash or the status of

the company since they specialize on the cash disbursement.

Participant 7: Yes, management accounting helps managers make operational

decisions–intended to help increase the company's operational efficiency

Participant 8: Yes, because with management accounting you can identify

stability of your business and forecast its future incomes and feasibility.

The statements gathered from the participants point towards the inarguable value

that the management accounting profession provides businesses. Their answers ranged

from the profession being prevalent in cash disbursements to predicting possible trends

and business feasibility. This category shows the perceived value that the students have

on management accounting which reflects the level of knowledge that they have garnered

in their college years.

38
Table 3

A Possible Career

Open Code Category Theme

1. Determination to pursue the course

and a future profession

2. A lot of opportunities in the future. Future Possible

3. Able to work for different types of Opportunities

companies.

Wanting to work peacefully Positive Chances

4. Wanting to work in an office Personal and Interest for a Future Career

5. Passion and personal Interest in Driven

managing financial statements

6. Practicality Salaries and

7. A potential to work abroad Opportunity Driven

Management Accounting as an option for a future career

Knowing the importance of Management Accounting in an organization,

companies will search for competent management accountants for them to help the

business achieve their goals. In this research, part of the agenda was to find whether the

students are actually even interested in pursuing a career in management accounting. The

study yielded positive results and is categorized as (i) Positive chances for a career in

Management Accounting. Summary and sub-themes and categories are then presented

and discussed below.

39
Positive chances for a career

This meant that there is a chance for the students to consider a career in

management accounting in the future. This resulted in the formulation of the three themes

which are: (i) Future possible opportunities, (ii) Personal and Interest Driven, (iii)

Salaries and Opportunity Driven.

Future possible opportunities

It was clearly observed that one of the major factors of the students in choosing

the program best suits them is how it would help them in the future or the possible

opportunities that they can grab in the near future especially when they are able to finish

a degree. In the study of Fizer (2013), it was stated that choosing a career path is a huge

part of a young man or woman‟s life. The interviewed participants were all from the

management accounting course and their statements were listed below.

Participant 2, Participant 4, Participant 5, Participant 9, Participant 10, and

Participant 11 were asked if management accounting can be their future occupation. They

have shared their insights regarding the future possible opportunities of the management

accounting profession and their answers were captured in the following statements:

Participant 2 : Yes, there is a chance because I will do everything that I can to

make my dreams come true.

Participant 4 : Yes it is possible since I don't know what future may bring but I

do hope I will be on this type of job. Though there are lots of opportunities

awaiting us/me.

Participant 5 : There is a big chance. Who knows but I am actually wishing,

dreaming and slowly pursuing it.

40
 Participant 9 : Yes, you can work for any type of company and do a variety of

task. I believe that we should pursue our passions as a means of making a

living.

Participant 10 : Yes, there is since I pursue this program, my future occupation

should be inline in what program and/or field I choose.

Participant 11 : Yes, Because I choose this field and i work hard for this, in fact

joining this course makes you gained enough certain knowledge to become one

of the great manager in the future, so why not?

All of the participants answered yes, that there is in fact a chance that they may

pursue a career in management accounting; since all of them are taking up courses in the

accounting department. The participants seemed to be optimistic that they will eventually

land a job in management accounting or at the very least in the accounting field. Should

they pursue a career in management accounting (Fontinelle, 2021) states the possible

destinations for management accounting graduates; the first is the certified management

accountant (CMA) designation, offered by the Institute of Management Accountants

(IMA). You can earn this designation if you complete a bachelor's degree, pass the two-

part CMA exam, and acquire two continuous years of professional experience in

management accounting or financial management. The second is the chartered global

management accountant designation, offered by the American Institute of CPAs in

conjunction with the London-based Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. The

credential has only been offered since the beginning of 2012. At its inception, the CGMA

program offered the credential based on experience alone. As of 2015, there is also an

exam requirement.

41
 The career path students choose affected how they would live the rest of their life.

A lot of students went through college without knowing what career path they want. The

statements above supported the researchers‟ insights regarding how students choose or

what are the factors they consider in choosing their career. It was mentioned that students

chose the career path that will affect them for the rest of their lives. Thus, this meant that

students were really looking to future possible opportunities in deciding what path are

they going to take.

Personal and Interest Driven

This meant that the participants are personally or interest driven for their pursuit

of a possible career in accounting. Participants 1, 6, 7, 9, 10, and 11 were asked to

elaborate on their reasoning on why management accounting is a possible career choice

for them, their statements are as follows.

Participant 1: I just want to work peacefully

Participant 6: Want to work in accounting offices or business related.

Participant 7: Passion, Salary and experience.

Participant 9: The ability to drive oneself to take initiative and action to pursue

goals and complete tasks.

Participant 10: Personal interest to be exact

Participant 11: Interested in Financial Statements/Managing

The statements from Participants 1, 6, 7, 9, 10, and 11 revolved around the

interest of the participants to pursue a career in management accounting. Having a career

that was of interest to the individual is a dream for most. Management accounting did

indeed garner attention and interest since the profession itself is important to the success

42
of the business. Students who excel in planning and formulating strategies are more prone

to develop an attraction towards the profession and its job description. Students also

stated the importance of personal interests by describing why they wanted to pursue the

profession with unique thoughts from each student interviewed. Though their statements

were indeed different from one another; the core of the statements remained the same, it

is their passion and interest that drives them to pursue the degree and a future career in

management accounting.

Salaries and Opportunity Driven

This pertained to the interest of the participants driven by the amount of pay and

job opportunities the management accounting profession provides. Statements that

correlate with this category were shown in the answers of Participants 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and

11 as follows.

Participant 3: Practical.

Participant 4: I think it I the practicality and passion

Participant 5: Work opportunities, salary and being practical

Participant 6: Working abroad with this profession has big potential.

Participant 8: Personal choice and practicality.

Participant 9:I believe that we should pursue our passions as a means of making

a living.

Participant 11: High paying job

43
 The statements from Participants 3, 4, and 8 all revolved around the practicality of

the career choice as they are from the management accounting course and getting a career

in line with the course could only be described as practical. Their statements described

practicality in a sense that the choice to pursue a career in management accounting was

the logical thing to do after they graduate from the course.

Participant 9 also stated that they also considered their passion for the profession

in conjunction with the salaries it provides. This was interesting to the researchers as not

only is the participant interested in the salary and opportunities of the field, they also

carry the passion for the craft.

The main objective for most in finding a job was to earn money and provide for

their families and the statements given by the participants above support that. A job was

mostly a means of survival for some and students would have to choose a degree to

pursue that yields the best amount of salary in the future. Management accounting

provided avenues for a sustainable job since it was a flexible profession with a number of

uses in public and private organization. Securing a job as a management accountant as a

means to earn a living was stated by the participants as one of the reasons why they chose

to pursue a degree, and later on a career, in management accounting.

The statements above were also consistent with the study carried out by Noland et

al. (2003) that found that student‟s choosing a career in accounting considered the

following factors important; long-term salary opportunities, starting salary and prestige of

the profession. This was consistent with Simons et al. (2003) who concluded that the

most important factors a student considered when choosing a major were; financial

44
rewards (with long term earnings outweighing initial earnings), job availability, and

interest in the major/career.

45
 Chapter V

Summary of Findings, Conclusions and Recommendations

This chapter concluded the present study with a summary of the research activities

and processes undertaken. It also considered the research findings, the conclusions drawn

from the findings and the recommendations.

Summary

This study was an exploratory qualitative type which means, it uses the qualitative

methodology in acquiring and interpreting data. Exploratory research was defined as an

investigation into a problem that is not well defined. It was conducted to gain a better

understanding of the current situation, but will not yield conclusive results. For this type

of research, the researcher begins with a broad concept and uses it to identify issues that

can be the subject of future research.

Findings

The findings that the researchers compiled through this study have been

thoroughly discussed in the previous chapter. The findings were categorized into themes

that encompassed the opinions and authentic statements from the students. These themes

were based on the similarities of their perceptions and answers through the interviews

conducted which aimed to illustrate a clear image of how the students perceived

management accounting as a profession. The themes sub-themes and their categories are

listed as follows:
Students’ Views on Management Accounting: This was mainly for the purpose of

stating the general views from students about management accounting.

Positive Views

Aid for Business Operation: A significant number of students have stated that

the profession is an aid for businesses in their operations. Their statements

ranged from the profession helping the business by tracking their income and

expenditures, providing accounting information, to helping them to be more

efficient in their operations in general.

Employment Opportunities: The students generally viewed the profession to

be a worthwhile investment as a future profession. The students stated that

occupation interested them due to its salary and the opportunity to be employed

once graduated from the course.

Negative Views

Lack of Interest: The students stated that management accounting as a course

do not necessarily garner as much interest as other related tracks. They stated

that perhaps the course is only a second thought for most due to the societal

stigma that is implemented towards courses without board exams or that

students would be intimidated in thinking that the course requires a lot of effort

and analysis to succeed.

Unpopular Choice: The course is also not a popular choice among students.

This category differentiates itself from the previous one since it specifically

47
 dwells on the personal perceptions of the students. Their statements ranged from

the unfamiliarity of the course to outright denying it as they would rather take

Accountancy rather than Management Accounting with the latter course being

underestimated in between.

Students Value the Importance of Management Accounting in Businesses: This

encompassed the belief of the majority of the students interviewed that management

accounting helps the business and its decision makers.

Profession and Businesses

Aid for Decision Makers: This theme was generated with the majority of the

students interviewed stating that the profession helps the decision makers of the

business. They stated that the profession generally helps managers make well-

informed decisions by providing reports that gives the accurate depictions of the

performance of the business and as well as future trends and feasibility.

An Option for a Future Career: This captured the desire that the students have in

pursuing a career in management accounting.

Positive Chances for a Career in Management Accounting

Future Possible Opportunities: The profession is seen by the majority of the

students to be a viable future career. They stated that they are actively pursuing

their dream to becoming a management accountant.

Personal and Interest Driven: Some students showed that their drive in

pursuing the course was for personal reasons. Some stated that they would like

48
 to work peacefully while others said that their passion for the profession is what

drove them to take management accounting in the hopes of becoming a

professional someday.

Salaries and Opportunity Driven: Some students also stated that their drive in

pursuing this was the opportunities it provided and the financial stability it

offers.

Conclusion

In conclusion; the results portrayed the students to be quite knowledgeable in

what management accounting is and its purpose in a work environment. They stated a

clear idea of the profession being helpful in the operations and being a very crucial

partner for managers to make well-informed business decisions. The study also assessed

the effect of chosen suggestions (factors) that can boost students' future interest in

pursuing a profession in management accounting. In general, students have the strongest

belief in management accounting as a career path that will bring job opportunities, job

stability, a challenging and dynamic work environment, and a high social status. These

factors are important insights into the decision making process that those students go

through in choosing not merely just a course but also their possible occupation. The

findings clearly indicate that there is a possibility of future interest in management

accounting. The majority of accounting undergraduate students believed that

management accounting would have better career prospects, would be in high demand in

the job market, would be recognized internationally, and would be compensated well by

the employer. With all of these perks associated with their job, accounting students

49
become drivers and motivators to reach the professional level. Additionally, the findings

of this study indicated that all of the characteristics examined have a significant effect on

accounting students' interest in management accounting, with career opportunities and

salary being the most significant component. Despite the positive outcomes provided by

the study, the participants also stated that the profession is an afterthought and is quite

unpopular among the general population of students. This may be due to the fact that

most of the freshmen in college enter an accounting track in the hopes of becoming a

Certified Public Accountant and thus choose the accountancy course as supposed to

management accounting.

Recommendations

Based on the findings, analysis and conclusions of the study, the following

recommendations are presented:

1. The University should market the course of Management Accounting to freshmen

students or those looking to shift from one accounting course to another to address the

lack of interest on the degree.

2. The College of Business and Accountancy department should have clubs which

are dedicated to discussing Management Accounting not only as a course but also as a

future possible profession.

3. Occasional lectures should be made by representatives from the third year and

fourth year students enrolled in Management Accounting for the purpose of sharing their

intuition on its importance, as stated in the findings, to interested freshmen and

sophomore college students in the same course.

50
4. Due to the interest shown by the students in this study; the university should

consider to advertise their students of Management Accounting to local establishments in

the hopes of providing the former with a possible career and the latter a dedicated and

knowledgeable workforce.

5. Emphasize the possibility of a career path in Management Accounting by being a

CMA or Certified Management Accountant to the department and especially to those

taking up the course.

51
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PhD

thesis, University of Bristol, UK as quoted in Hutaibat (2012), Interest in the Management

Accounting Profession: Accounting Students‟ Perceptions in Jordanian Universities

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Perceptions in Jordanian Universities

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Molloy (2009), What Influences Accounting Student‟s Attitudes towards the Accounting Profession- A

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Super D.E. (1973). “The Career Development Inventory”, British Journal of Guidance and Counselling 1

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a Possible

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The Study Of Career Perception Of International Students In Japan And Japanese Companies

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Advancement of Counselling 12, 309-321 as quoted in Angel (2012), The Study Of Career

Perception Of International Students In Japan And Japanese Companies

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Vocational Behavior 51, 358-374 as quoted in Angel (2012), The Study Of Career Perception Of

International Students In Japan And Japanese Companies

Kidd J.M. (1998). “Emotion: An Absent Presence in Career Theory”, Journal of Vocational Behavior 52,

275-288 as

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Fizer (2013) Factors Influencing Choice of Career and Major

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Averkamp (2020), Introduction to Financial Accounting,

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0or%22a%20balance%20sheet.

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Ghanbari and Vaseli (2015), The Role of Management Accounting in the Organization,

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55
 APPENDICES

APPENDIX A

TRANSMITTAL LETTER

Republic of the Philippines

JOSE RIZAL MEMORIAL STATE UNIVERSITY
The Premier University in Zamboanga del Norte
Main Campus, Dapitan City

Transmittal Letter
May 25, 2021
DR. AMIEL B. ANDIAS
Associate Dean, CBA
JRMSU Main Campus
Thru; MRS. JENNIFER B. CABARON, DPA, ph. D

Dear, Maam/ Sir

Praise be to Jesus and Mary!

The undersigned students of this institution are currently conducting a research entitled
“Student Perceptions on Management Accounting Profession” as a final requirement
for the completion of the college degree Bachelor of Science in Management Accounting.

The purpose of this study is to seek valuable information about what students think of
when they hear about the Management Accounting profession. This study tackles how
they generally view management accounting, how important is management accounting
in businesses from the viewpoint of the respondents, and if the students view the
profession as a possible career in the future.

This study also aims to provide information that past studies that are similar to it has
failed to present due to the quantitative methodologies used and it is for that reason that
this research will be in a qualitative design.

Hoping for your positive response to our request.

Very truly yours,

Ronnel Christian E. Rubio

Rey A. Naranjo
Clauben S. Urboda
BSMA-III Student Researchers

56
 Invitation letter to CBA-JRMSU Accounting Students

Republic of the Philippines

JOSE RIZAL MEMORIAL STATE UNIVERSITY
The Premier University in Zamboanga del Norte
Main Campus, Dapitan City

May 25, 2021

JRMSU, Main Campus

Dear Students:

Greetings of Peace and Prosperity!

The undersigned students of this institution are currently conducting a research on

“Student Perceptions on Management Accounting” as a final requirement for the
completion of the college degree Bachelor of Science in Management Accounting.

The researchers would like to ask for your cooperation and to be one of our
research participants. Due to constraints of the pandemic the interviews shall be done
virtually through Messenger or Google Meet where the choice will ultimately be yours.
The researchers will attest that the data gathered will be confidential and shall only be
used for the purposes of this study.

Thank you.

Very truly yours,

RONNEL CHRISTIAN E. RUBIO

REY A. NARANJO
CLAUBEN URBODA
Students

Noted by: Approved by:

Mr. Janven Granfon MRS. JENNIFER B. CABARON, DPA,

Ph. D
Research Advisor Management Accounting Research
Instructor

57
 APPENDIX B
RESEARCH INSTRUMENT
The researchers used a semi-structured questionnaire in conducting their

interviews for their data gathering. These questions were followed up with corresponding

queries like how and why and they are as follows:

Questionnaire

1. What comes to mind when you hear the words management accounting?

2. In your own opinion, who benefits the most in the application of management

accounting?

3. Do you think that management accounting helps businesses in any way? Why or why

not?

4. How important do you think is the management accounting profession in businesses?

5. Will you be surprised if I told you that there is less interest in management accounting

among students?

6. Why do you think that management accounting as a profession do not interest

undergraduates as much as being a CPA or being a Financial Accountant?

7. What do you think are the main factors for students in choosing a career in accounting?

8. What are your personal motives in pursuing a certain course?

9. Would there be any chance for management accounting to be your future occupation?

Why or why not?

58
Table 4, MAXQDA Analysis

59
 APPENDIX C

CURRICULUM VITAE

Personal Information
Name: Ronnel Christian E. Rubio
Date of Birth: December 2, 1999
Address: Bagting, Dapitan City

Educational Background:
● Elementary: Dapitan City Central School SPED, Dapitan City Zamboanga Del
Norte 2007-2012.
● High School-Senior High School (General Academic Strand): Rizal Memerial
Institute of Dapitan City Incorporated, Dapitan City Zamboanga Del Norte 2012-
2018.
● College (BS Management Accounting): Jose Rizal Memorial State University,
Dapitan City Zamboanga Del Norte 2018- Present

Relevant Work Experience: None

60
Personal Information

Name: Clauben S. Urboda

Date of Birth: September 12, 1999

Address: Brgy. Cruz, Palompon Leyte

Educational Background

 Elementary: Cruz Elementary School

 Junior High School: Palompon Institute of Technology

 Senior High School: Palompon Institute of Technology

 College: 1st yr to 2nd yr 1st Sem - University of Cebu - Banilad Campus 2nd

year 2nd Sem - 4th year - Jose Rizal Memorial State University

Main Campus

Relevant Work Experience: None

61
Personal Information
Name: Rey A. Naranjo
Date of Birth: November 29, 1998
Address: Brgy. Pines, Oroquieta City, Misamis Occidental

Educational Background

 Elementary : Pines Central Elementary School

 Junior High School: Misamis Occidental Science and Technology High School

 Senior High School: Misamis Occidental Science and Technology High School

 College:Jose Rizal Memorial State University – Main Campus

Relevant Work Experience: None

62