Journal of Accounting and Financial Management E-ISSN 2504-8856 P-ISSN 2695-2211

Vol 10. No. 4 2024 www.iiardjournals.org Online Version

Knowledge of Accounting Software Packages and Employability

Requirements of Business Education Graduate Students in Rivers
State Universities

GODPOWER, Yiraodi Joel

Department of Business Education
Rivers State University
Port Harcourt
[email protected]

DOI: 10.56201/jafm.v10.no4.2024.pg143.160

Abstract
The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between knowledge of accounting software packages and the
employability requirements of business education graduates at Rivers State Universities. The study adopted a
correlational design aimed at determining the relationship between various types of accounting software packages
and the employability requirements of business education graduates at Rivers State Universities. Five research
questions were posed, and five corresponding null hypotheses were formulated to guide the conduct of the study. The
population of the study comprised 220 accounting lecturers and business education graduate students at Rivers State
Universities, which also formed the sample. Two sets of self-constructed questionnaires titled Knowledge of
Accounting Software Packages (KASP) and Employability Requirements of Business Education Graduates (ERSBEG)
were used to elicit responses from respondents for this study. The research instruments were validated by two business
educators and one measurement and evaluation expert. All the inputs and corrections from the experts were used to
modify the research instruments before administration. The reliability level of the instruments was established using
a test-retest method. Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Coefficient was used to analyze the two sets of data, and
the reliability levels were established at a coefficient (r) of 0.83 for the knowledge of accounting software packages
questionnaire and 0.76 for the employability requirement of Business Education graduate’s questionnaire. Pearson’s
Product Moment Correlation Coefficient was used for answering the research questions, while Pearson’s Product
Moment Correlation Coefficient Method and T-transformation were used in testing the hypotheses at the 0.05% level
of significance. The findings of the study were: there is a positive relationship between Sage Business Cloud and
Quickbooks accounting software packages and the employability requirements of Business Education graduate
students at Rivers State Universities. It was recommended, among others, that the teaching of accounting software
should be encouraged by higher institutions and that curriculum planners should restructure the curriculum in line
with present-day employment trends. Provision should be made for studios and well-equipped computer laboratories
where accounting education students can practice how to use accounting software packages with the aid of well-
trained instructors, which in turn will prepare accounting graduates for employment after graduation.

Keywords: Knowledge Accounting Software Packages, Employability Requirements, Business

Education Graduate Students, Sage Business, Quickbooks accounting software packages

Introduction
The field of accounting offers courses that prepare students to constantly meet the demands of the
labor market. Accountancy Education is a program of instruction in the Department of Business
Education that prepares its graduates to become professional accountants and teachers after

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graduation. Students can only be taught based on what is contained in the accounting education
curriculum; that is to say, the training must be in line with what is in the accounting education
curriculum. From year one at the undergraduate level, business education students are taught
principles of accounting and an introduction to financial accounting, which prepare them with
basic accounting knowledge, but they are not taught accounting software, which is not contained
in the accounting education curriculum. A curriculum is expected to contain pre-vocational and
vocational aspects of accounting, as well as skills training and broad-based business
understanding. Accounting is a skilled base course that enables an individual to know about the
various economic events of his country through the identification, classification, measurement,
and communication of the various activities to users of financial information for proper and
accurate decision-making. Accounting is described as the language of business that can tell with
reasonable accuracy the degree of success an organization has achieved in its financial goals of
profit and its solvency (Okoli, 2011). Accounting is identifying, measuring, recording, and
communicating financial information about our economic unit, which aids management decision-
making (Ohaka & Agwor, 2017). Accounting is also defined as a process of identifying, recording,
classifying, measuring, summarizing what has been recorded, and interpreting and communicating
the economic events of an organization or an individual to interested users of the information”
(Kiabel, 2017).

Accounting software is one of the most required packages for present-day employment, as many
organizations have moved from traditional record-keeping to digital systems. Employers of labor
in the present day look out for graduates of accounting education that have competency in
accounting software packages such as Sage Business Cloud, QuickBooks, Wave, and Spread Sheet
packages (Umoru, 2020). Achieving an ideal accounting education curriculum should not be
viewed as an event but as a continuous cycle that requires relevant curriculum mapping,
interpretation, implementation, and review. A curriculum that recommends the use of emerging
technologies, such as accounting software, prepares students of accounting education for
employability because employers are increasingly paying attention to emerging technologies. Prior
to the 21st century, most organizations preferred the traditional method of recording accounting
transactions, which, of course, is very time-consuming and involves too much paperwork (Kumar,
2020). The enhanced use of accounting software has changed the accounting process, which
involves transactional entry, data storage, and preparation of financial statements and related
information, and has an impact on the decisions of stakeholders who use financial statements for
various purposes. The professional accountant should have adequate knowledge of various
accounting software to identify and post various items in ledgers, which come under financial
statements, and to ensure the fairness of financial statements (Mustafa, 2020). The accountant
should acquire “additional knowledge of accounting software and a generalized enterprise resource
plan (ERP) in order to ensure the company's accounts are recorded as per applicable accounting
standards or International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) (Draijer, 2020). Accountants have
now been using generalized accounting software to do all the accounting tasks instead of using the
traditional ways of accounting, such as manual recording of accounting transactions and
finalization of financial statements (Turner, Weickgenannt, & Copeland, 2020). Therefore, “there
is a need to learn how to use specialized accounting software and gain a broad understanding of

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financial accounting and commercial segments, even within an international context. A

professional accountant should also have adequate practical experience with the use of generalized
accounting software such as Tally, Peachtree, and QuickBooks (Shaffer, Gaumer, & Bradley,
2020). Replacing traditional accounting paper records with computer-based records brings many
advantages, including increased reliability and accuracy of financial reports, faster access to
financial data, and fairly improved generation of accounting information through financial
statements (Gokten & Ozdogan, 2020). Accounting software is a major instrument in accounting
information systems (AISs), offering timely, accurate, and reliable information. Undoubtedly, it is
no secret that technology has evolved to the extent that no current business enterprise can operate
without it (Huy & Phuc, 2020).

Accounting software packages are designed to develop special emphasis on marketable accounting
software packages and techniques in fields like accounting, business, secretarial, clerical,
stenographic, sales, or distributive occupations. Knowledge of accounting software packages is
having software skills like QuickBooks, Spreadsheet or Excel, Wave, Sage Business Cloud, Zip
Books, Fresh Book, and other theoretical accounting knowledge that build graduates with the right
attitudes, competencies, and knowledge necessary for successful employment after graduation
(Ekwe & Abuka, 2014). It has been estimated that 90 million of the population of Nigerian youth
lack jobs, and the lack of jobs is not the problem but the lack of the acquisition of software
packages. Some higher institutions of learning do not have accounting software in the curriculum,
while others that have accounting software packages in the curriculum fail to teach the practical
aspect of the content for immediate employment (Oyesola, 2013). Also, several misconceptions
and obstacles are barriers for accounting graduates to becoming globally minded, such as out-dated
accounting curriculum content in some universities, absence of software packages in the
curriculum needed for graduates employment, lack of information, lack of relevance, limiting
scope of international experience, lack of role models, incompetent lecturers, students unaware of
study opportunities, lack of career planning within organizations, unaware of work opportunities,
and not including international experience as an option (Jude, 2012).

Sage Business Cloud Accounting Software Package

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The Sage business cloud accounting software package is a programme designed for the teaching
of students and is used by modern organisations to run their day-to-day business activities. Making
forecasts about the development of the accounting profession, it is believed that for effective
accounting service in the future, there will be a switch to cloud software (Galarza, 2017). When
deciding on the choice of an accounting cloud product, we take into account its strengths and
weaknesses, risks, and prospects for use. These issues have been studied in the scientific papers of
many scientists. Working with Your Accountant Sage 50 is not an electronic chequebook but a
real double-entry accounting system. Your accountant will appreciate the detail included in Sage
50’s financial statements and other reports. There are some initial decisions you should make with
your accountant (Webb & Chaffer, 2016). For instance, at tax "time, you need to provide your
accountant with the information he or she needs, such as the balance sheet, income statement, and
statement of changes. In addition, receivables, payables, and inventory valuations may be printed.
The course content of Sage Business Cloud is to be included in the Accounting Education
curriculum, covering how to create sales invoices, create a filter of invoices, create a new company
account, add a logo to your invoices, create customers, create suppliers, add credit limits, bank
details, and notes to contacts, create recurring statements, attach multiple bank accounts, connect
bank feeds, utilise bank transfers, cash accounts, bank deposits, reconcile transactions, Print
checks, view journals, view a chart of accounts, access the basic Sage accounting dashboard, use
the mobile Sage accounting app, export reports and listings, convert invoices to PDFs, generate
reports on profit, generate reports on loss, balance sheet, general ledger, cash flow statement, and
more (Randa, 2020).

The Sage Education Alliance Programme (EAP) supports students in becoming the business
builders of tomorrow by providing cloud-based business solutions to advance their skills in
accounting, bookkeeping, tax, payroll, and entrepreneurship in the classroom at no cost. They are
dedicated to empowering students to advance their skills and expertise through hands-on
experience by offering a complimentary Sage Business Cloud Accounting subscription (Sage
Software, 2018).

Objectives: To teach the subject of accounting by creating an engaging and simplified learning
experience through the use of Sage Business Cloud Accounting through a series of practical
applications and coursework, and to help students develop mastery of accounting, enabling job-
ready, real-world skills needed to be successful both at school and within the work force.
Demonstrate the key concepts of accounting by utilising a simple case study in a systematic
progression of exercises to bring clarity to challenging topics. Help students gain a competitive
edge with industry-recognised skills and bring accounting principles to life in Sage Business Cloud
Accounting while offering hands-on experience in classroom lessons.

Learning Outcomes: Gain an overview of Sage Business Cloud Accounting. Understand the
different subscription types. Understand the benefits of cloud accounting for use within the
classroom. Understand how to access accounting. Gain an overview of accounting security in the
cloud. Understand the system requirements for using accounting. Understand the Education
Alliance Programme partnership offering. Learn how to apply for a complimentary instructor

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accounting (Partner Edition Account). Learn how to setup a new instructor accounting company
and demo account for use throughout the course” (Sage Software, 2018).

The benefits of the Sage education partner programme are

1. Real-world skills: This gives your students the practical training and experience employers
look for by bringing the right software into the classroom.
2. Complimentary software: Both you and your students will receive complimentary access
to a range of Sage educational software.
3. Educator training: Better support your students and further develop your career with these
courses.
4. Online community and support: Join an engaged and knowledgeable online community
dedicated to Sage accounting software for educational institutions at Sage City.
5. Sage certification: Offer your students the accolades of Sage certification to boost their
resumes and help further their careers.

QuickBooks Accounting Software Package

Quick Books is an accounting software package used by organisations to process accounting

transactions, and this software provides the user with the following features: a chart of accounts,
customised invoices, tracking of accounts payable and receivable, a profit and loss statement, a
balance sheet, and the ability to the ability to manage cash flows. It can be used by small businesses
and medium-sized entrepreneurs and provides Quick Payroll Software, which is used in processing
employee salaries (Machera & Machera, 2021). Small business owners are usually busy and need
accounting software to pay their bills, collect money from customers, track income, and track
expenses. However, the best accounting software for small businesses is not a one-size-fits-all
solution and varies greatly by industry, including personal preferences. Quick books give you our

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top accounting software picks as well as a discussion of the industries in which they are best”
(Tim, 2021).

QuickBooks Online is a superb choice for most small businesses because it is easy-to-use
accounting software that can be shared effortlessly with employees, Certified Public Accountants
(CPAs), and tax professionals. With tiered subscription levels, QuickBooks Online can scale as
your business grows or your needs change. You can try QuickBooks Online for free with a 30-day
trial with no credit card required (Tim, 2021). QuickBooks Online earned each of the following
industries and features:

Construction: QuickBooks Online provides excellent project accounting as well as construction

management tools like employee time and location tracking, customer relationship management
(CRM), and a customer portal.

Ecommerce retailers: QuickBooks Commerce can be added to QuickBooks Online to provide

direct integrations with most e-commerce platforms, thereby reducing the need for expensive third-
party connectors.

Real estate businesses: The ability to separate activity by both class and location makes
QuickBooks Online a viable option for property management companies that need to track income
and expenses for various segments and locations.

Time tracking: QuickBooks Time, formerly T-Sheets, was integrated into QuickBooks Online to
provide outstanding time tracking for both billing and payroll purposes.

Online bookkeeping assistance: Intuit provides an online bookkeeping service and QuickBooks
Live that pairs companies with a dedicated team of ProAdvisors to provide bookkeeping services
tailored to your QuickBooks Online needs.

Mobile app: QuickBooks Online has an incredible mobile app that allows you to perform nearly
any accounting task on the go, including invoicing” (Tim, 2021).

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Features and Benefits of Quick Books Software Package

1. Flexible for teaching: QuickBooks and Profile can be incorporated into accounting, finance,
management business education, mathematics, and entrepreneurship courses, as well as finance,
accounting, bookkeeping, and tax programmes.
2. Complimentary software: free, up-to-date software that engages students through hands-on
practical application of theoretical learning.
3. Access to resources: The Intuit education team helps you select the right lecture presentations,
classroom exercises, and more for you and your students. With QuickBooks Online, you can
provide your students with an opportunity to learn and master Canada’s leading accounting
software, giving them an edge in the competitive job market. This guide will walk you through the
setup process for instructors and give you the details on how to setup QuickBooks Online for you
and your students. This guide will provide you with details on the resources available to you and
how to get the most out of your QuickBooks Online teaching experience. Before you use
QuickBooks Online, it is important that you optimise your learning environment to make sure you
are ready to get started. Here are a few items for your review before getting started.
4. Minimum System Requirements: Windows PC: Windows 7 or newer, Intel Core i3 or a
comparable processor (2013 or newer) with at least 2GB of RAM · Mac: OS X “El Capital” 10.11
or newer · Internet connection: 1.5 Mbps.
5. Supported Browsers: QuickBooks Online supports the following browsers: Google Chrome,
Mozilla, Firefox (convert to Firefox pdf), Microsoft Edge, Safari 11 or newer” (Mac only).

Employability-centred curriculum is a paradigm shift from the traditional known perspective of

curriculum to knowledge-based and skill-based learning that prepares students for enterprise
development, self-employment, and social adjustment in society. Employability-centred
curriculum is a paradigm shift from the traditional known perspective of curriculum to knowledge-
based and skill-based learning that prepares students for enterprise development, self-employment,
and social adjustment in society. Employability connects the university and the marketplace
together so that institutions can increase their capacity to deliver a highly innovative curriculum
to students by integrating theory with practicality as an aspect of vocation (Akpomi & Ikpesu,
2020). For a graduate of accounting education to be sure of “working as an accountant, auditor,
manager, and consultant in the industry, they must possess the required theoretical and practical
accounting software skills. All modern organisations are doing away with the normal paper system
in favour of automated accounting. A graduate of accounting education who does not have the
required competencies in accounting software will find it difficult to secure a good-paying job,
irrespective of the graduated grade. The accounting education curriculum is designed to educate
students on both business and finance in accordance with new technological trends, provide a
career environment for the students, and equip them with employability skills after graduation.
Some of the employment opportunities for the students of accounting education who have
employability skills are: financial accountants, education accountants, auditors, and self-
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employment as consultants. Employability refers to a group of important skills instilled in each

individual in order to produce a productive workforce. It is also a person’s capability for gaining
and maintaining employment. Employability is a form of an active adjustment of individuals
towards certain occupations until they can identify and recognise existing career opportunities in
the workplace. It takes a skill for a job seeker to be able to identify opportunities where others
cannot.. The responsibility of institutions of higher learning is to always conduct critical review
before deciding the requirements for any course content so as to prepare students for employability
after graduation. Employability is concerned with developing accounting education graduates with
the required competencies and skills to be able to use various accounting software when employed
in organisations (Akpomi & Ikpsu, 2020).

Business education is the process of building skills, knowledge, ethics, values, and attitudes that
will help an individual to be able to face life challenges around them and function effectively as
an entrepreneur, professional teacher, and operator in organisations such as accountants, managers,
marketers, secretaries, etc. Business educators, as a matter of importance, should evaluate the
programme from time to time and also review the curriculum to keep up with the present
technological trend in order for graduates of business education accounting to be relevant in the
labour market. More so, continuous innovation and practical skills that are related to modern
technology should be carried out in teaching, especially the practical teaching of automated
accounting software, by developing technological skills in accounting (Godpower in Okiridu and
Godpower, 2020). Business education is an education designed with the primary aim of elevating
one’s skills as well as providing citizens with the requisite skills to secure gainful employment so
as to earn a living and to succeed in life through further education” (Ubulom, 2012). As a
programme, business education creates avenues for the practical acquisition of skills,
competencies, and attitudes that will help learners function effectively and efficiently in a given
society or economic system. Also, business education as a practical programme of instruction in
institutions of higher learning equips students with skills to be able to solve practical financial
challenges. It develops individuals in socio-economic competencies; that is, the individual
becomes an intelligent consumer of goods and services as a result of the knowledge and skills
acquired through the training in business education. As a course of study, it enables the individual
to become a worker, earn a living, be a responsible citizen, and play his or her role in the
development” of the economy of a country (Akpomi, 2019).

Statement of the Problem

The accounting programme in business education is meant to produce competent, skilled, and
dynamic individuals such as accountants, auditors, administrators, and consultants. Graduates who
do not acquire the adequate accounting software competencies required for gainful employment
will keep roaming the streets in search of white-collar jobs (Oguejiofor, 2020). Accountancy
Education graduates have inadequate skills when it comes to the use of accounting software, which
is a thing of great concern to employers of labour and society at large (Edet & Udida, 2019). Most
industries, governments, and private organisations lament the inability of accounting education
graduates to perform efficiently, especially in the use of accounting software packages, when
employed (Robert & Precious, 2017). These challenges have made organisations engage the

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services of consultants to train the new accounting graduates on the practical application of modern
accounting software packages, for a period of time during which only a select few persons will be
chosen out of many as a result of not meeting the company’s requirements for employment after
the training. Considering the “cost and time spent in training these graduates that cannot use the
different accounting software packages, many researchers and stakeholders have attributed these
problems to the inability of higher institutions that are saddled with this responsibility to actually
teach or train these graduates on the practical application of modern accounting software packages
during the course of the accounting programme in business education (Adetula & Efobi, 2019).
The problem of not teaching accounting software packages is probably because they are not
reflected in the curriculum of the accounting education programme, which could be a contributing
factor to the high unemployment rate of accounting education graduates at Rivers State
Universities. The study investigated the knowledge of accounting software packages and
employability requirements of business education graduates at Rivers State Universities due to the
mismatch between what the graduates learned in school and the reality they faced when employed
in organisations.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between knowledge of accounting
software packages and employability skills of business education graduates at Rivers State
Universities. Specifically, the study ought to:

1. Determine the relationship between knowledge of the Sage Business Cloud accounting
software package and the employability requirements of business education graduate
students at Rivers State Universities.
2. Determine the relationship between knowledge of the QuickBooks accounting software
package and the employability requirements of business education graduate students at
Rivers State Universities.

Research Questions

The following research questions were raised to guide the study:

1. What is the relationship between knowledge of the Sage Business Cloud accounting
software package and the employability requirements of business education graduate
students at Rivers State Universities?
2. What is the relationship between knowledge of the QuickBooks accounting software
package and the employability requirements of Business Education graduate students at
Rivers State Universities?

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Hypotheses

1. There is no significant relationship between knowledge of the Sage Business Cloud

accounting software package and the employability of business education graduates at
Rivers State Universities.
2. There is no significant relationship between knowledge of the QuickBooks accounting
software package and the employability of business education graduates at Rivers State
Universities.

Methodology
The research design adopted for this study was a “correlational survey research design meant to
determine the relationship between knowledge of accounting software packages and the
employability requirements of business education graduates at Rivers State Universities.
Correlational survey design basically involves the extraction of information from respondents
through the distribution of questionnaires and interviews to check the authenticity of the
relationship between two variables. The population of this study consisted of 220 respondents,
made up of 40 accounting educators and 180 graduate students of accounting education in business
education for the 2023/2024 academic session in RSU and IAUE, both in Port Harcourt, which is
100% of the population. No sampling techniques were used since the entire population was used.
Two separate self-structured instruments titled Questionnaire on Knowledge of Accounting
Software Packages” (QKASP) and Questionnaire on Employability Requirements of Business
Education Graduates (QERBEG) were used to collect responses from respondents. Out of the 220
questionnaires sent to respondents, 195 copies were returned and used for data analysis. A four-
point rating scale was used to rate the responses of the respondents as follows: strongly agree (SA)
with 4 points, agree (A) with 3 points, disagree (D) with 2 points, and strongly disagree (SD) with
1 point. The instruments were subjected to face and content validation. The research instruments
were validated by two business educators and an expert in measurement and evaluation. The data
collected was analyzed using Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (PPMCC) to
answer the two (2) research questions and hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance, and T-
transformation was used to test for the strength of the hypotheses. The decision rule was that the
null hypotheses were accepted when the critical r value was greater than the calculated r value and
were accepted when the critical r value was less than the calculated r value.
.
Data Presentation and Analysis
Research Question 1
What is the relationship between knowledge of Sage Business Cloud accounting software package
and employability requirements of Business Education graduate students in Rivers State
Universities?

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Table 1.1: Calculated r of the Relationship exists between knowledge of Sage

Business Cloud accounting software package and employability requirements
of Business Education graduate students in Rivers State Universities.
(N= 195)
S/No Variables Responses ∑XY r-cal r-crit Decision
1 Sage Business Cloud accounting 2,584 Positive
software package (X) Relationship
37,384 0.68 ±0.1476 Exist
2 employability requirements of 2,813
Business Education graduate
students (Y)
Source: Researcher’s Field Survey (2024)
Table 1.1 The table showed that the calculated r was 0.68 with the table value of ±0.1476. This
means that since the calculated r is higher than the table value, a positive relationship exists
between knowledge of Sage Business Cloud accounting software package and employability
requirements of Business Education graduate students.
Research Question 2
What is the relationship between knowledge of QuickBooks accounting software package and
employability requirements of Business Education graduate students in Rivers State Universities?
Table 1.2: Calculated r of the Relationship exists between knowledge of
QuickBooks accounting software package and employability requirements of
Business Education graduate students in Rivers State Universities.
(N= 195)
S/No Variables Responses ∑XY r-cal r-crit Decision
1 QuickBooks accounting 3,106 Positive
software package (X) Relationship
44,985 0.70 ±0.1476 Exist
2 employability requirements of 2,813
Business Education graduate
students (Y)
Source: Researcher’s Field Survey (2024)
Table 1.2 The table showed that the calculated r was 0.70 with the table value of ±0.1476. This
means that since the calculated r is higher than the table value, a positive relationship exists
between knowledge of QuickBooks accounting software package and employability requirements
of Business Education graduate students.

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Hypotheses Testing
The hypotheses for this study were tested as follows:
Hypothesis 1: There is no significant relationship between the knowledge of Sage Business Cloud
accounting software package and employability of Business Education graduates’ students in
Rivers State Universities

Table 1.3: Summary of calculated r of Significant Relationship between the

Knowledge in Sage Business Cloud accounting software package and
employability of Business Education graduate students in Rivers State
Universities
S/No Variables ∑XY r-cal t-trans t-crit Decision
1 Sage Business Cloud Positive
accounting software package Relationship
37,384 0.68 2.32 ±1.645 Exist
2 employability requirements of
Business Education graduate
students
N= 195 Df= 193 P>0.05 * = Significant
Source: Researcher’s Field Survey (2024)

Table 1.3 shows the calculated coefficient (r) value of the significant relationship between the
acquisition of skills in the Sage Business Cloud accounting software package and the
employability of business education graduates at Rivers State Universities. With N = 195, D =
193, P > 0.05, the calculated r was 0.68 with a critical t value of ±1.645 at the P > 0.05 level of
significance, and since the calculated r value was statistically greater than the table value, the null
hypotheses were therefore rejected, and the conclusion is that there is a relationship between the
Sage Business Cloud accounting software package and the employability of Business Education
graduates at Rivers State Universities.

Table 1.3 further showed a t-transformation value of 2.34 with a critical t value of ±1.645. This
means that since the t-transformation value is statistically greater than the table value, there is a
strong relationship between the Sage Business Cloud accounting software package and the
employability of Business Education graduates at Rivers State Universities. The value of r was
therefore accepted, which indicated that there is a significant relationship between knowledge of
the Sage Business Cloud accounting software package and the employability of business education
graduates at Rivers State Universities.

Hypothesis 2: There is no significant relationship between the knowledge in QuickBooks

accounting software package and employability of Business Education graduate students in Rivers
State Universities.

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Table 1.4: Summary of calculated r of Significant Relationship between the knowledge

in QuickBooks accounting software package and employability of Business
Education graduate students in Rivers State Universities
S/No Variables ∑XY r-cal t-trans t-crit Decision
1 QuickBooks accounting Positive
software package Relationship
44,985 0.70 3.76 ±1.645 Exist
2 employability requirements of
Business Education graduate
students
N= 195 Df= 193 P>0.05 * = Significant
Source: Researcher’s Field Survey (2024)

Table 1.4 shows the calculated coefficient (r) value of the significant relationship between the
knowledge of the QuickBooks accounting software package and the employability of Business
Education graduate students at Rivers State Universities. With N = 195, D = 193, P > 0.05, the
calculated r was 0.70 with a critical t value of ±1.645 at the P > 0.05 level of significance, and
since the calculated r value was statistically greater than the table value, the null hypotheses were
therefore rejected, and the conclusion is that there is a relationship between the QuickBooks
accounting software package and the employability of Business Education graduate students at
Rivers State Universities.

Table 1.4 further showed a t-transformation value of 3.76 with a critical t value of ±1.645. This
means that since the t-transformation value is statistically greater than the table value, there is a
strong relationship between the QuickBooks accounting software package and the employability
of Business Education graduate students at Rivers State Universities. The value of r was therefore
accepted, which indicated that there is a significant relationship between knowledge of the
QuickBooks accounting software package and the employability of business education graduate
students at Rivers State Universities.

Summary of Findings

Major findings from the research work are as follows:

1. The result shows that there is a significant relationship between the knowledge of the Sage
Business Cloud accounting software package and the employability requirements of
business education graduate students at Rivers State Universities.
2. The result shows that there is a significant relationship between the knowledge of the
QuickBooks accounting software package and the employability requirements of business
education graduate students at Rivers State Universities.

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Discussion of Findings
Relationship between knowledge of Sage Business Cloud accounting software package and
employability requirements of Business Education graduate students.

The first findings revealed that the Sage business cloud accounting software package prepares
graduate students for immediate employment. prepared graduates with the competencies for day
to day running of business transactions, prepares graduates to work from any location which can
help in active running of an organization, in the case of global pandemic the accountant can work
from home, prepares graduates to easily secure employment and prepares graduates for skills that
will enable self-employment. The finding is in line with the work of Randa (2020): “Sage business
cloud accounting software package prepares graduates to create sales invoices, create filters of
invoices, create a new company account, add logos to your invoices, create customers, create
suppliers, add credit limits, bank details, notes to contacts, create recurring statements, attach
multiple bank accounts, connect bank feeds, utilise bank transfers, cash accounts, bank deposits,
reconcile transactions, Print checks, view journals, view a chart of accounts, access the basic Sage
accounting dashboard, use the mobile Sage accounting app, export reports and listings, convert
invoices to PDFs, generate reports on profit, generate reports on loss, balance sheet, general ledger,
cash flow statement, and work from different locations. The conclusion was that there was a
positive relationship between knowledge of the Sage Business Cloud accounting software package
and the employability of business education graduates.

Based on the first findings, a “hypothetical test was conducted, which also indicated that a
statistically significant relationship exists between knowledge of the Sage Business Cloud
accounting software package and the employability of business education graduates at Rivers State
Universities. The test further revealed that, in line with the work of Ekwe and Abuka (2014), most
business education graduates in accounting are not fully aware of the concept of the Sage Business
Cloud accounting software package and cannot use the software to post accounting records. The
study concluded that there is a statistically significant relationship between knowledge of the
Sage Business Cloud accounting software package and employability of Business Education
graduates since the calculated correlation coefficient (r) value was statistically greater than the
table value P>0.05 level of significance. The null hypotheses therefore were rejected at P>0.05
level of significance”. The strength of the relationship was determined with a t-transformation test,
which was concluded based on the calculated correlation coefficient value (r), which indicated that
a statistically significant relationship exists between knowledge of the Sage Business Cloud
accounting software package and the employability of Business Education graduates at Rivers
State Universities.

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Relationship between knowledge of QuickBooks accounting software package and

employability of Business Education graduates.

The second finding revealed that the QuickBooks accounting software package prepares graduates
to know the financial position of an organisation, how to customise invoices to make daily posting
of transactions easier, how to track accounts that are payable and receivable, manage small,
medium, and large enterprises for daily business transactions, and how to use customised payroll
and time tracking for daily business transactions. The finding is in line with the work of Machera
and Machera (2021). QuickBooks is used by small businesses and medium-sized entrepreneurs
and provides Quick Payroll Software, which is used in processing employee salaries. Small
business owners are usually busy and need accounting software to pay their bills, collect money
from customers, track income, and track expenses. The conclusion was that there was a positive
relationship between knowledge of the QuickBooks accounting software package and the
employability of business education graduate students.

Based on the first findings, a “hypothetical test was conducted that indicated there was a
statistically significant relationship between knowledge of the QuickBooks accounting software
package and the employability of Business Education graduates at Rivers State Universities. The
test further revealed that, in line with the work of Tim (2021), the knowledge of the
QuickBooks accounting software package enhances graduates’ competencies and also equips them
for future employment. The study concluded that there is a statistically significant relationship
between knowledge of QuickBooks accounting software package and employability of Business
Education graduates since the calculated correlation coefficient (r) value was statistically greater
than the table value P>0.05 level of significance. The null hypotheses therefore were rejected at
P>0.05 level of significance. The strength of the relationship was determined with a t-
transformation test, which was concluded on the calculated correlation coefficient value (r), which
indicated that a statistically significant relationship exists between knowledge of the
QuickBooks accounting software package and employability of Business Education graduate
students at Rivers State Universities.

Conclusion

Based on the findings of this study, the researcher concluded that knowledge of accounting
software packages is very important if graduates of accounting want to still be relevant in the
labour market, since changes are the only constant factor on earth. Employability requirements
guide students with what is required for them to be employed after graduation.

Recommendations

Based on the findings of the study, the researcher made the following recommendations:

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1. The teaching of accounting software packages should be encouraged to bridge the gap
between theory and practice to give business education accounting students a competitive
advantage in the labour market.
2. Curriculum planners should be encouraged to add some accounting software packages to
the accounting education curriculum to enable business education graduates to acquire the
requisite knowledge. The programme of business education should regularly be reviewed
to include innovations in the field.

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