Factors influencing students’ choice of accounting major in Cambodia

Abstract

Higher education institutions in Cambodia have offered a major in accounting since the private sector was permitted to provide education services. The development of the country, which sees the inflow of foreign companies and the growth of local firms, the full adoption of the accounting standards, the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) by the National Accounting Council (NAC) may have induced the growing demand for professional accountants and the enrollment of students in accounting program. Recently, a major in accounting has attracted increasing interest from students. This study determined factors influencing Cambodian students’ decision to major in accounting. Three hundred ninety-four 394 students currently studying accounting were surveyed using the anonymous self-administered questionnaire through Google Forms. The Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was used to construct the variables, and multiple regression was employed to analyze the factors influencing students’ choice of accounting major. The results showed that personal interest, school reputation, and career expectations are significant factors. Although female students account for the majority of accounting students, gender was not found to have a significant influence on students’ choices. The results suggest that higher education institutions should prioritize strengthening their reputations by offering internationally accredited curricula and programs so that their graduates will be qualified to work in top-class companies, boosting students’ interest and expectation in pursuing accounting careers.