Emerging Technologies for Business Professionals

Embrace emerging technology in your own organization with jargon-free and practical guidance

In Emerging Technologies for Business Professionals: A Nontechnical Guide to the Governance and Management of Disruptive Technologies, a team of accomplished accounting systems experts and educators delivers a straightforward and jargon-free management and governance blueprint of emerging technologies ideal for business professionals. In this book you will learn how to use cutting-edge technologies, including AI, analytics, robotic process automation, blockchain, and more to maintain competitive advantage while managing risks.

The authors provide real-world examples and case studies of each of the discussed technologies, allowing readers to place the technical details in the context of identifiable business environments. Each chapter offers simple and useful insights in new technology that can be immediately applied by business professionals. Readers will also find:

• Discussions of a host of new computing technologies, including edge, cloud, and quantum computing
• Exploration of how the disruptive technologies such as metaverse and non-fungible tokens will impact business operations
• Easy-to-understand explanations of the latest, most relevant technologies with applications in accounting, marketing, and operations

An essential resource for Certified Public Accountants, CPA candidates, and students of accounting and business, Emerging Technologies for Business Professionals will also earn a place in the libraries of anyone interested in adopting emerging technologies in their own organizations.

Acknowledgments v

Chapter 1 Introduction to Emerging Technologies 1

Chapter 2 Information Technology and Ethics 15

Chapter 3 Introduction to Data Analytics 27

Chapter 4 Data Analytics Governance and Management 51

Chapter 5 Introduction to Artificial Intelligence 71

Chapter 6 Artificial Intelligence Implementation and Management 87

Chapter 7 Cryptocurrency and Blockchain 107

Chapter 8 Blockchain Developments and Governance 127

Chapter 9 The Metaverse and Non- Fungible Tokens 147

Chapter 10 Introduction to Robotic Process Automation 163

Chapter 11 Robotic Process Automation Implementation and Management 179

Chapter 12 Quantum and Edge Computing 201

Chapter 13 Augmented Reality 219

Chapter 14 Introduction to Cybersecurity 233

Chapter 15 Cybersecurity Management 249

Appendix: Governance Frameworks 265

About the Authors 281

About the Website 283

Index 285

Nishani Vincent, PhD, CGMA, ACMA, is the Joseph F. Decosimo and UC Foundation Associate Professor of Accounting at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Her research interests include IT governance and risk management.

Amy Igou, PhD, CMA, is the Halverson Associate Professor of Accounting at the University of Northern Iowa and the Director of the Master of Accounting program. Her research interests include emerging technologies in the classroom and the profession of accounting.

There remains a stark need for nontechnical explanation of emerging technologies in both C-suites and business classrooms around the world.

In Emerging Technologies for Business Professionals, a team of distinguished accounting professionals delivers a simultaneously accessible and robust treatment of technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), analytics, robotic process automation (RPA), blockchain, and novel cybersecurity techniques. In the book, you’ll find easy-to-understand, nontechnical discussions of a variety of new technologies useful for business professionals seeking to manage risk and make better strategic business decisions.

Each chapter provides practical examples and real-world case studies designed to help the reader understand related technical topics in a particular business context. The included subjects offer simple and useful guidance in cutting-edge technologies for nontechnical businesspeople.

An essential, hands-on resource for certified public accountants and CPA candidates, Emerging Technologies for Business Professionals will also earn a place in the libraries of managers looking to implement the latest technologies in their own organization.

Praise for EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES FOR BUSINESS PROFESSIONALS

“This is the most comprehensive book involving business technologies and their related risks that I have seen. A great, nontechnical resource for business professionals, regulators, and other stakeholders.”
—ROBERT PINSKER, Daszkal Bolton Professor of Accounting, Florida Atlantic University

“Our world is being changed at an unprecedented pace by emerging technologies—adapt or be left behind. This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the latest technologies and how they are changing the world as we know it. A must-read for anyone who wants to stay ahead of the curve and understand how these technologies will change our future!”
—DEREK M. HERTGES, CPA, Financial Advisor, Member of the Principal Financial Network

“Vincent and Igou’s book is a masterclass in understanding the impact and implications of emerging technologies. Their expertise shines through every chapter, making this book a crucial read for anyone navigating the digital landscape.”
—LEON C. PRIETO, PhD, Director of the Center for Social Innovation & Sustainable Entrepreneurship; and Professor of Management in the College of Business at Clayton State University

“Dr. Vincent and Dr. Igou quickly ramp up stakeholders into the emerging technologies necessary for competitive businesses, and remove the need to read piecemeal magazine articles that often repeat knowledge. As a former Big Data analyst, I will be walking my global president through this book so our firm’s stakeholders can ask important questions from our consultants and IT teams as we implement modern analytics.”
—SALIL KALGHATGI, Account Executive Manager, Cook Medical