Factors Influencing Employability of Accounting Graduates in Oman: A Study of Skills Gaps, Employer Expectations, and Market Readiness

Abstract

This study explores factors influencing employability of accounting graduate in Oman focusing on the impact of employers’ expectations, market readiness, social mobility skills, soft skills and technical skills. Using a structural questionnaire of 5-likert scale, the study collected data from 490 Accounting Graduate across Oman. The research data was analyze using SEM-PLS and the empirical findings confirms that employer expectation and technical skills show a not significant relationship with the dependent variable i.e. employability of accounting graduate while market readiness, social mobility, and soft skills are found to be significant and positively related to employability of accounting graduate in Oman. This result demonstrates the role of social mobility and soft skills in developing countries like Oman where employment opportunities ties to political connection and nepotism. The study concludes that higher education institutions in Oman should deployed a soft and market focused skills into curriculum and collaborate with industries to reduce the gap between employers’ expectations and graduate opportunities.