Accounting software selection: The relationship between selection technique and outcome

Abstract

The demand for accounting software keeps increasing over the time. However, choosing suitable and satisfactory accounting software that meets requirements of the company is by no means easy. Four factors that companies take into consideration in choosing accounting software are criteria, method, technique, and software features (e.g. support tools). This paper focused on testing the relationship between accounting software selection technique and its outcome as well as the company characteristics. A variety of methodologies were carried out, i.e. ANOVA and chi squared test for quantitative study and face-to-face interview for qualitative study, in which the latter was conducted after the former to confirm and explain the former. Results showed that in Vietnam as a transition market, the accounting software selection technique does not directly affect the successful choice of accounting software, i.e. suitable and satisfactory software. Size and line of business at large have no impact on the accounting software selection technique that the company is adopting.