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Spreadsheet tools such as MS Excel are extensively leveraged computer tools in the business world.  However, in many academic settings they are often viewed as just another basic computer skill set for new business students.  Based upon a combination of a modified action research study utilizing an eight month internship of a business department student at a global company's Americas headquarter and surveys of regional employers, the potential early career benefits of possessing certain strong spreadhseet skills was explored.  A combination of observation logs, interviews as well as surveys were used to examine which spreadhseet features and functions were perceived as being valuable across numerous functional areas of organizations.  The study also looks at the widespread integration of spreadheets and applications like MS Excel with many organizational information systems and database platforms.  Findings from this study suggest that students entering the business workforce may benefit early in their careers by leveraging well developed spreadsheet skills.

Spreadsheets, education, information systems