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The controlling profession in the digital age: Understanding the impact of digitisation on the controller's job roles, skills and competences

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  • Oesterreich, Thuy Duong
  • Teuteberg, Frank
  • Bensberg, Frank
  • Buscher, Gandalf

Abstract

•The controller of the future combines skills of a business partner and data scientist.•“Data science” and IT skills are expected to be the controller's major skills areas.•In practice, traditional tasks still constitute a major part of the controller's daily work.•In practice, no evidence can be found that underlines the necessity of data science skills.•An explanatory model is proposed to enhance the understanding toward these findings.

Suggested Citation

  • Oesterreich, Thuy Duong & Teuteberg, Frank & Bensberg, Frank & Buscher, Gandalf, 2019. "The controlling profession in the digital age: Understanding the impact of digitisation on the controller's job roles, skills and competences," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 35(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:ijoais:v:35:y:2019:i:c:s1467089519300090
    DOI: 10.1016/j.accinf.2019.100432
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    1. Ágnes Szukits, 2022. "The illusion of data-driven decision making – The mediating effect of digital orientation and controllers’ added value in explaining organizational implications of advanced analytics," Journal of Management Control: Zeitschrift für Planung und Unternehmenssteuerung, Springer, vol. 33(3), pages 403-446, September.
    2. Klaus Möller & Utz Schäffer & Frank Verbeeten, 2020. "Digitalization in management accounting and control: an editorial," Journal of Management Control: Zeitschrift für Planung und Unternehmenssteuerung, Springer, vol. 31(1), pages 1-8, April.
    3. Helmut Wasserbacher & Martin Spindler, 2021. "Machine Learning for Financial Forecasting, Planning and Analysis: Recent Developments and Pitfalls," Papers 2107.04851, arXiv.org.
    4. Helmut Wasserbacher & Martin Spindler, 2022. "Machine learning for financial forecasting, planning and analysis: recent developments and pitfalls," Digital Finance, Springer, vol. 4(1), pages 63-88, March.
    5. Adriana Tiron-Tudor & Delia Deliu, 2021. "Big Data’s Disruptive Effect on Job Profiles: Management Accountants’ Case Study," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-26, August.
    6. Wai Fong Chua, 2022. "Matters of concern and engaged research," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 62(4), pages 4615-4627, December.
    7. Jochen Fähndrich, 2023. "A literature review on the impact of digitalisation on management control," Journal of Management Control: Zeitschrift für Planung und Unternehmenssteuerung, Springer, vol. 34(1), pages 9-65, March.

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