The impact of automation and information technology on the accounting profession in Lebanon

Abstract

Automation and technology have had a major impact on our daily lives and on jobs in all industries, specifically the accounting profession. As technology continued to improve and update throughout the years, auditors and accountants started to realize the importance and the impact that technology has on not only their daily work but also the security of their jobs. The accounting profession has become reliant on technology and advanced accounting softwares because of the quality of work they produce and the speed at which they provide it. Hence, this research study aims to explore the impact of technology on the accounting profession and employability in the North of Lebanon. Since in the North of Lebanon there are known accounting offices and auditors I have opted to collect data through conducting semi-structured interviews. The data is then analyzed through the use of thematic analysis in which themes and sub-themes were created to analyze the findings. Technology improved the quality of information given to auditors and upper management for decision making purposes in less amount of time than before using technology. On the other hand it decreased the employment rate since many companies are investing in new and advanced accounting softwares that require less employees to use. The research was conducted as part of a Master‟s final project which limited the time to complete it to two semesters. Another limitation was the location as the research was conducted only in the North of Lebanon due to situation in Lebanon and the COVID-19 pandemic.