The millennial open distance learning accountancy academic: career motivation and individual ambidexterity

Abstract

A shortage in skilled accountancy professionals has been recognised both globally and locally. In South Africa, it is mainly accountancy faculties at higher education institutions that are tasked with addressing such deficiencies. Academics who are appointed at accountancy faculties are therefore recognised as the main role players in the quest to supply greater numbers of graduates in their field to the labour market. This is especially true in the case of accountancy academics from the millennial generation, since they not only form the largest cohort in the workforce, but are also more relatable to younger students. Furthermore, in South Africa, open distance learning (ODL) institutions aid significantly in shaping the accountancy professionals of the future. It is therefore imperative to recruit, appoint and retain motivated younger accountancy academics within an ODL environment. A criterion for being appointed to an ODL institution includes earning a professional designation such as CA(SA) (Chartered Accountant South Africa), the awarding of which is preceded by practical industry experience. The typical ODL accountancy academic has therefore made the career decision to leave the corporate world behind to join academia. This research study aims to explore the motivation behind accountancy academics’ decision to enter ODL academia, their views on their professional identity and the challenges they experience in the workplace, to shed light on how to recruit and retain a complement of excellent, committed academics. London’s (1983) theory of career motivation, along with guidelines on individual ambidexterity, was considered appropriate to frame this research study. A qualitative research design located within the interpretative paradigm, in the form of interpretative phenomenological analysis, was selected as the most appropriate way of addressing the research objectives. The findings of the semi-structured, face-to-face interviews revealed that younger accountancy academics were mostly motivated to become ODL academics by the prospects of greater flexibility, of autonomy, teaching and improving society. They were further comfortable with both aspects of their professional identity, namely that of CA(SA) and accountancy academic, which points towards individual ambidextrous behaviour. Various challenges in the workplace were revealed, such as tension between the two main academic roles of doing research and teaching. This tension may threaten individual ambidexterity, but can best be countered by aligning the values of the ODL institution with those of academics.