washburn
Topeka, Kan. – One of Washburn University’s School of Business faculty members has been recognized for excelling in her field. The American Accounting Association (AAA) has awarded Dr. Pamela Schmidt, associate professor of accounting and William Lyman Dibble Professor in Accounting, with the 2021 “Accounting Horizons” Best Paper Award. Schmidt and her coauthors earned this award by publishing the best paper in the “Accounting Horizons” journal, as voted on by the journal editors and members of the American Accounting Association.
Schmidt’s paper, “Investigating Accountants’ Resistance to Move Beyond Excel and Adopt New Data Analytics Technology,” examines why accounting professionals and organizations may resist incorporating data analytics technology into their work, instead using Microsoft Excel. Schmidt and her coauthors found that, unlike large companies, small and medium-sized organizations don’t always have the resources to invest in new technology. Schmidt coauthored the paper with two other professors – Dr. Jennifer Riley with the University of Nebraska at Omaha and Dr. Kimberly Swanson Church with Missouri State University.
“Accounting, like many other professions, has changed over the years as more technology and data becomes available,” said David Sollars, dean of Washburn’s School of Business. “It’s important that our students are prepared for the future of the accounting profession, and Dr. Schmidt’s interest in data analytics will undoubtedly help them in their careers.”
“Data analysis is becoming more and more ingrained in business practices,” said Schmidt. “For accounting professionals to gain the skills needed in today’s business world, it’s important to understand the barriers and motivators to the adoption of data analytics.”
Schmidt realized several years ago that data analysis would be an important part of the accounting profession in the future. She studied the topic herself in order to better prepare her students for their careers.
Schmidt has taught at Washburn since 2012. Her areas of interest include data analytics, enterprise systems, accounting information systems and blockchain.
The AAA’s Best Paper Awards are annual awards that recognize the best papers published in the “Accounting Horizons” and “Issues in Accounting Education” journals. Editors of each journal select the top five papers published during the calendar year, and AAA members vote to select a winner from those five. “Accounting Horizons” is a journal focused on the scholarship of integration and application of accounting.
Schmidt’s paper, “Investigating Accountants’ Resistance to Move Beyond Excel and Adopt New Data Analytics Technology,” examines why accounting professionals and organizations may resist incorporating data analytics technology into their work, instead using Microsoft Excel. Schmidt and her coauthors found that, unlike large companies, small and medium-sized organizations don’t always have the resources to invest in new technology. Schmidt coauthored the paper with two other professors – Dr. Jennifer Riley with the University of Nebraska at Omaha and Dr. Kimberly Swanson Church with Missouri State University.
“Accounting, like many other professions, has changed over the years as more technology and data becomes available,” said David Sollars, dean of Washburn’s School of Business. “It’s important that our students are prepared for the future of the accounting profession, and Dr. Schmidt’s interest in data analytics will undoubtedly help them in their careers.”
“Data analysis is becoming more and more ingrained in business practices,” said Schmidt. “For accounting professionals to gain the skills needed in today’s business world, it’s important to understand the barriers and motivators to the adoption of data analytics.”
Schmidt realized several years ago that data analysis would be an important part of the accounting profession in the future. She studied the topic herself in order to better prepare her students for their careers.
Schmidt has taught at Washburn since 2012. Her areas of interest include data analytics, enterprise systems, accounting information systems and blockchain.
The AAA’s Best Paper Awards are annual awards that recognize the best papers published in the “Accounting Horizons” and “Issues in Accounting Education” journals. Editors of each journal select the top five papers published during the calendar year, and AAA members vote to select a winner from those five. “Accounting Horizons” is a journal focused on the scholarship of integration and application of accounting.
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