Multiindustry Group SEM Analysis for the Roles of Managerial Accountants in a New and Sustainable Episode.

This study aims to investigate the roles and responsibilities of management accountants in Thailand, in a new and sustainable episode that has been disrupted by internal and external factors. Specifically, it also identifies the key factors that drive the changing roles of managerial accountants to be more innovative and business-strategy-oriented. Secondary data were employed in this study via the posted questionnaire to accountants who work in three industry sectors, namely manufacturing, retail and wholesale, and services. Multigroup structural equation modeling (multigroup SEM) was administered from the data. A sample set of 182 was gathered and used in the study’s analysis. 45% of the sample were accountants who worked in manufacturing, 22% in retail and wholesale, and 33% in service companies. The study proposed a structural equation modeling approach to determine key factors-digital technology force, leadership, digital technology readiness, digital technology competency, and attitude-that influence the changing roles of managerial accountants. The study finds that the factors that influenced the changing roles of managerial accountants differ from sector to sector. The digital technology force was found to have a weak influence on the changing roles of accountants, but moderately strong in retail and wholesale services. While the attitude of the accountants themselves was very strong to influence the changing roles, it was moderately strong for retail and wholesale, and rather weak for the services sector. Other factors-leadership, digital technology readiness, and digital technology competency-were found to have a mediating effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]