Accounting Research Research Articles

Who cares about environmental, social and governance performance? Family versus non-family firms

Purpose This paper aims to explore the nexus between family involvement and environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance based on socioemotional wealth theory, and it also analyzes the potential influence mechanism. Design/methodology/approach Based on the categorization of China Stock Market & Accounting Research database, this study divides the Chinese listed firms into family and nonfamily firms and applies multiple regression methods to test the theoretical hypotheses. Findings Family involvement can incentivize corporations to enhance corporate transparency, which can in turn enhance their ESG performance. The role of family involvement in bolstering corporate ESG performance is negatively contingent on external financing constraints. Originality/value There are insufficient studies on the nexus between family ownership and ESG performance. The findings provide insights into helping policymakers formulate targeted measures to encourage corporations to be more active in promoting ESG initiatives.

Accounting research and teaching: perceptions of Portuguese public higher education professors

This study analyzes the relationship between accounting research and teaching, according to the perception of Portuguese public higher education teachers. The study employs a qualitative research methodology, using semi-structured interviews carried out with Portuguese academics in the accounting field. The results corroborate the existence identified in the literature of a gap between accounting research and teaching, more evident at the undergraduate level, highlighting the pertinence of the contributions of the studies and the rather difficult integration of research into teaching. This study contributes to raising awareness and reflection on the importance of the relationship between research and higher education in accounting, and to support the decision-making process of a variety of social actors that work within that relationship, namely directors of higher education institutions, course directors, higher education teachers, higher education assessment and accreditation bodies, journal editors and professional bodies.

Sustainability accounting research over three decades: A scientometric meta‐analysis

AbstractAs organizations worldwide face increasing pressure to integrate sustainability into their core principles, the need for robust sustainability accounting practices has never been more crucial. This study takes on the challenge by mapping out the intellectual structure of sustainability accounting research domain. Using a mix of scientometric analysis of 1702 articles and in‐depth content analysis of 122 key works spanning more than 30 years from 1991 to 2024, the study unveils the past, present, and future of this vital field. Intricate domain visualizations were created utilizing CiteSpace software revealing networks of co‐authorship, keywords, subject categories, institutions, and countries committed to research on sustainability accounting, including co‐citation and cluster analysis. Results revealed research production concentrated in developed nations, highlighting the urgency for increased focus on this topic within developing and emerging countries. The network structure indicated a scarcity of global collaboration particularly at the company level. The central themes of sustainability accounting, identified through cluster analysis and examination of highly co‐cited documents, encompass sustainability management accounting, life cycle assessment, carbon accounting, national accounts, climate policy, and ecosystem accounting, playing a significant role in shaping its landscape and ongoing evolution. Six relevant emerging themes were identified from in‐depth content analysis of recent literature in the management domain, comprising the role of accountants in mitigating climate risk, rethinking accounting for planetary boundaries, biodiversity loss and extinction accounting, sustainability assurance, technological advancements, and other miscellaneous themes. This study carries significant implications for a diverse array of stakeholders, including policymakers, organizations, society, and academics.

Trends and patterns in behavioral accounting research: 53 years of bibliometric analysis

Trends and patterns in behavioral accounting research: 53 years of bibliometric analysis

Management Control System Design and Innovation: A Systematic Literature Review

AbstractThe purpose of this study is to examine through a systematic review the management accounting research that focuses on the role of management control systems (MCS) in enhancing innovation within organizations. For that purpose, a total of 19 articles from publications spanning from 2000 to 2022 were selected using the keywords of management control system and innovation. The findings indicate that the Levers of Control (LoC) is the most widely studied topic. The next popular topic being examined is formal and informal control mechanisms. The aspect of innovation in that literature mainly focuses on product innovation, management and organizational innovation, and environmental innovation and sustainability. Future research can explore more the role of the MCS in the combined mechanism of LoC to encourage innovation. This paper contributes to the MCS literature by examining the suitable mechanisms affecting the success of innovation in a rapidly changing environment. Keywords:Management Control System, Innovation, Review Literature, Levers Of Control, New Product Development

Suspicious activity reporting in emerging economies: the case of Iran

PurposeCountries with high levels of corruption can experience collusion between powerful elites and accountants to conceal, disguise and clean the proceeds of criminality. This study investigates the willingness of accountants to report evidence of money laundering in an emerging economy, Iran, notwithstanding potential personal and professional risks implicit in such due diligence. It evaluates the relevance of personal characteristics of accountants to the propensity to report, and the implications for policy makers in terms of audit team composition.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology is quantitative. Data was gathered by means of a suspicious activity scenario-based questionnaire administered to 1,128 of Certified Public Accountants in Iran, of which 281 responses were received. Four hypotheses were tested relating to the implications, if any, of gender, age, education and working experience for the propensity to report red flags indicative of money laundering.FindingsData revealed that accountants were generally more willing to report activity indicative of money laundering than was anticipated in an environment perceived to be characterised by professional and personal risks. Older accountants are more risk averse and more likely to report suspicious activity than younger counterparts who tend to disregard borderline indicators of money laundering. A significant red flag indicator of money laundering is a client's reluctance to provide information regarding controlling shareholders, debtors and creditors or to explain contrived and opaque corporate structures. Audit teams may be more effective when gender-balanced: female accountants tend to be more willing to report suspicious activity than male counterparts, reducing the risk of interference by powerful elites.Research limitations/implicationsThe time frame over which the research was conducted was a single year; if it had been conducted over several years it may have revealed more nuanced and evolving reporting behaviour. The study was limited to Iran: a cross-comparison with another emerging economy or economies may have revealed useful contrasts.Originality/valueThe study contributes to behavioural accounting research in emerging economies. Limited empirical data is available regarding the influence of personal characteristics of accountants on their willingness to report suspicious activity in corrupt environments where personal safety and professional security may be at risk from powerful elites. It evaluates the implications of these for suspicious activity reporting policy, and for improving the effectiveness of the scrutineering role of audit teams. An innovative questionnaire was designed which may be suitable for future comparable research in emerging economies.

The Respective Relationship Between Environmental, Social, Governance and Financial Performance

Based on data from most A-listed Chinese corporations from the China Stock Market & Accounting Research (CSMAR) database in 2023, this study examines the respective influence of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance on a corporations financial performance. By utilizing Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression models, the study regards return on equity (ROE) as the dependent variable and E, S, and G scores as the independent variable. It delves into the individual contributions of each ESG category to provide investors with a more detailed framework for making investment decisions and offer corporate executors insights into policy implementation to improve profitability. Ultimately, aiming to support both investors and corporate leaders in their efforts to improve financial outcomes through targeted ESG initiatives, this research indicates that among three factors, the governance performance of a corporation can, to the most extent, enhance financial performance, and thereby encourages corporations to prioritize governance in their ESG strategies.

Family characteristics, Basic Sanitation trought Health promotion moderating in prevention Dengue in Dom Alexo, Dili 2024

Timor-Leste is one of the countries with a high incidence of dengue fever (DHF), especially during the rainy season. Until now, there is no specific effective treatment for dengue virus, so prevention is an important step in reducing the spread of this disease. This study aims to determine the relationship between family characteristics and basic sanitation with DHF prevention through the moderating variable of health promotion in Dom-Aleixo Administrative Postu, Dili Municipality, in 2024. The research method used was descriptive quantitative with a cross-sectional approach. The study population included all heads of households in Dom-Aleixo Administrative Postu, with a total of 122,699 households, and the sample taken was 100 households. The data analysis technique used Pearson Product Moment, and took into account research ethics. The results showed that there was a moderate relationship between family characteristics and DHF incidence (r = 0.413). When moderated by health promotion, this relationship became stronger (r = 0.548). In addition, basic sanitation showed a very strong association with DHF incidence (r = 0.686), and this association remained very strong when moderated by health promotion (r = 0.545). Overall, the combination of family characteristics and basic sanitation moderated by health promotion had a very strong association with DHF incidence (r = 0.693). This study implies that health promotion plays an important role in strengthening the relationship between family characteristics and basic sanitation with DHF prevention, and that improving health promotion can be an effective strategy in reducing DHF cases in Timor-Leste.

Financing Sustainability: Unveiling the Role of Government Debt in Carbon Reduction Performance

The existing literature on government debt has predominantly focused on its influence on economic growth, with relatively limited attention paid to its ecological implications. Government debt, as an important financial tool, plays an essential role in improving the quality of economic development, yet its impact on sustainable governance remains underexplored. Against this backdrop, this paper investigates the relationship between government debt and carbon reduction using a sample of Chinese listed companies from 2010 to 2023. After excluding missing and financial firm data, our final sample includes 26,535 observations. We obtained these data from the China Security Market Accounting Research (CSMAR) database and the Wind database. This study utilizes ordinary least squares (OLS) as the baseline regression and identifies a significant positive impact of government debt on carbon emissions. Further, the moderating analysis suggests that the positive impact of government debt on carbon reduction is particularly stronger in state-owned (SOEs) and heavily polluting enterprises. To ensure the robustness of these findings, we also use fixed-effects models and the generalized method of moments (GMM), validating the consistency of the findings. This research provides critical practical and theoretical insights for regulators and adds to the prevailing body of literature on emissions reduction.

Analysis of behavioral factors in management accounting research

The adoption of accounting as a social science suggests that subsequent development is associated with both the study of its role in real social and institutional contexts, and the study of behavioral factors of the activities of those responsible for the development of professional accounting judgments of persons and managers making decisions based on accounting information. However, today researchers do not fully assess the actual problem of studying the behavioral (behavioral) aspects of the activities of accounting specialists as significant factors affecting the functioning of the accounting and analytical system of any organization. The purpose of the study is to substantiate the need to assess the impact of behavioral factors on the effectiveness of the organization and development of management accounting, in the context of its interdisciplinarity. In this regard, the article, to a certain extent, examines the features of behavioral factors in accounting that form its interdisciplinarity; substantiates the necessity and justification of a behavioristic approach in management accounting; reveals the influence of emotional and psychological qualities of an accountant on the organization of the accounting process, the activities of the accounting service, the formation of accounting policy.

Advocating a place-space duality for an accounting research agenda

PurposeThe paper proposes a place-space duality, rather than a dualism, for accounting research.Design/methodology/approachThe discussion is informed by the literature in human geography, which, while developing the concept of space, has made an important distinction between abstract space and place as a site of experiential learning and memory.FindingsThe lack of a concept of place is a serious omission in the accounting literature and perpetuates an abstract sense of space, which can restrict the scope of accounting research.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper calls for further research to study accounting in place and to explore both the collective and individual senses of place, as well as conscious and unconscious place associations. We recognise that there is limited prior accounting research on this topic and that there are challenges in conducting such interdisciplinary research, especially as there is a lack of common ground between research in human geography and accounting and little integration of the two literatures.Practical implicationsThe paper proposes an accounting research agenda based on a place-space duality, which reflects the strength of people-place relationships, including place identities, place attachment and place dependence.Originality/valueThe paper provides a critique of the conceptualisation of space in accounting research, identifies place-space as a duality (rather than a dualism) and suggests a novel distinction between studying accounting in context and in place.

Analyzing Savings Behavior Among University Students: A Case Study of Bank's Financial Education Initiatives

This study investigates the impact of Maybank’s Financial Education Initiatives and financial goal-setting on the savings behavior of university students. Utilizing both primary and secondary data, the study aims to determine how financial education and the establishment of measurable financial goals influence students' savings habits. Primary data was collected through an online survey distributed to 200 university students using a Five-Point Likert Scale to measure responses regarding their participation in financial education programs, financial goals, and savings behavior. Secondary data was sourced from relevant academic journals focusing on accounting and finance research in the Asia Pacific region. The results reveal that both financial education and goal-setting significantly influence savings behavior, with financial goals exhibiting a stronger effect. Regression analysis shows that financial goals (β = 0.386) have a higher impact on savings than Maybank’s Financial Education Initiatives (β = 0.270). The study concludes that while financial literacy is crucial, goal-setting plays a more pivotal role in promoting consistent saving behavior. The findings imply that financial literacy programs should integrate goal-setting strategies to maximize their effectiveness in fostering long-term financial responsibility among students

Changes in field-based research in accounting

PurposeMerchant and Van der Stede (2006) produced a comprehensive analysis of 24 years (1981–2004) of field-based accounting research. This study aims to analyse how the publication of field research in accounting has changed since 2005. In addition, it aims to analyse contributions from specific individuals, institutions and countries, and whether the field studies have contributed to accounting research and textbooks.Design/methodology/approachThe authors identified and classified 1,115 field-based accounting articles published in 14 accounting journals from 2005 to 2022 to uncover any changes. Thereafter, bibliometric analysis was conducted using data from SciVal.FindingsThe results show several significant changes. Firstly, the growth of field studies has more than trebled as nearly all journals published at least some field studies. Secondly, field research is no longer as confined to management accounting as before. It is gaining increasing traction in auditing, financial accounting and corporate social responsibility (CSR). Thirdly, while interview-based accounting research was clearly the most popular, the fastest growth was seen in mixed-methods non-management accounting research. While public sector management control case studies and content analysis of CSR were the most popular topics of interview-based studies, audits were the most popular topic in mixed-methods research. Authors based in large universities in large English-speaking countries have been most productive, followed by authors based in Europe and Asia. Based on citation analysis, the field studies have contributed to academic research substantially more than to textbooks.Originality/valueAn analysis of changes and trends improves the understanding of what has happened in accounting research and the development over time.

Navigating the PhD journey: a collective consideration of junior academics in qualitative accounting and management research

Purpose The purpose of this paper revolves around the informal coming together of various doctoral students in the area of qualitative accounting and management research and the attempt to learn from their respective experiences. Together, the authors share personal reflections and valuable insights in revealing their vulnerabilities, aspirations and how they make sense of the PhD journey and their becoming as academics. Design/methodology/approach This paper builds on an open discussion and written reflections among the authors, who represent a diverse set of both doctoral students at various levels and recent graduates from different countries, schools and backgrounds. Findings The discussion highlights the struggles the authors experience as doctoral students, how they learn to cope with them as well as how they are socialized throughout their PhD journey. This allows them to take a critical stance towards increased productivity demands in academia and to embrace doctoral students as a powerful collective, whose aspirations may inspire a change of academic reality for the better. Originality/value While guidance on how to succeed as doctoral students is common, we seldom hear about doctoral students as particularly “fragile selves” (Knights and Clarke, 2014) who, as opposed to more established scholars, are more actively experiencing difficulties with finding their ways in academia. The authors are thus motivated to create a rare common voice of a group of doctoral students here by providing a more intimate account of the PhD journey.

Measuring the Prevalence of Earnings Manipulations: A Novel Approach

ABSTRACTWe provide prevalence estimates for five forms of earnings manipulation based on executives’ reports about their firms’ actual reporting practices. After preregistering our methods and analyses via the Journal of Accounting Research’s registration‐based editorial process, we recruit nearly a thousand executives from firms listed in the Russell 3000 Index to participate in either a survey or a list experiment; the hallmark of the latter being additional privacy protections designed to promote honest disclosure about self‐incriminating information. In our survey, 26.8% of executives disclose at least one form of earnings manipulation at their firm in the 2018–2023 period: 18.0% report changing an operational activity to meet a near‐term earnings target at the expense of long‐term value (i.e., real earnings management), 8.8% report intentionally obfuscating unfavorable information, 6.6% report manipulating accruals, 3.9% report withholding material information, and 0.0% report accounting fraud. Our list experiment produces an economically higher result in two cases, estimating that 29.9% of firms engaged in real earnings management and 12.4% committed accounting fraud over the same time period. We conclude that while a traditional survey can provide credible lower‐bound estimates for the prevalence of many forms of earnings manipulation, list experiments encourage more honest disclosure in some cases.

Appraising the Determinants and Outcomes of Islamic Financial Literacy through the Lens of a Systematic Literature Review

This research illuminates the determinants and outcomes of Islamic financial literacy as scrutinized in prior investigations. A systematic literature review unfolded across the Scopus database from 2016 to 2023. This investigation encompasses 22 articles from the 40 scholarly works extracted from the Scopus database. The Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research emerges as the most prolific disseminator of insights into the determinants and outcomes of Islamic financial literacy, credited to its robust publication frequency throughout the year. The autonomous and reliant facets of Islamic financial literacy were predominantly studied, with emphasis not only on individual dynamics but also on business perspectives. The determinants instigating Islamic financial literacy congregate within the affective, conative, family influence, self-controlled, and demographic predictors. Conversely, the ramifications stemming from Islamic financial literacy manifest in cognitive, affective, and conative dimensions, leaving an indelible imprint on the business realm. Geographic focus reveals a concentration of prior investigation within Muslim-majority nations, predominantly Indonesia. Furthermore, the investigation discovers that past studies were mainly conducted in the context of Islamic banking. The evidence from the present study provides input to researchers in conducting further research on Islamic financial literacy.

Lost in the maze? Public sector accounting and reporting—A structured literature review

IMPACT Motivated by the complexity and challenges of public sector accounting, this structured literature review (SLR) takes a broad approach combined with structured analysis to unravel the development, cross-temporal challenges and remaining gaps in public sector accounting and reporting research. By highlighting these gaps, the authors outline future research paths within the current literature and compare them with previous literature reviews to provide researchers with a roadmap for future research. Although this SLR does not provide direct assistance with day-to-day problems, through its comparative, quantitative and structured approach, it provides practitioners with an interdisciplinary overview of public sector accounting research in one article—helping them to navigate the complex field of public sector accounting without having to read multiple literature reviews.

History of behavioral accounting research (1960–2023): a bibliometric analysis

Purpose This study aims to examine the over 60-year evolution of behavioral accounting research (BAR), with the main aim of critically and accurately tracing its past, present and future. Design/methodology/approach This study used Scopus and Google Scholar databases to collect 2,263 articles of BAR published on relevant accounting journals. Thus, this study used Bibliometrix to provide a temporal overview of articles and a temporally oriented network co-occurrence analysis of BAR topics. Findings This study retraces the history of BAR since its origins and, also on the basis of triggering events inside (e.g. Nobel Prizes for behavioral economics studies) and outside (e.g. accounting scandals) the academic debate, this study critically discusses the evolution and interconnections of BAR topics. Then, future research is addressed toward main promising avenues, thus integrating recent technological applications into the behavioral accounting experimental designs to improve their external validity, exploring the potential positive effects of professionals’ heuristics in performing accounting tasks under certain environmental conditions, exploiting behavioral accounting frameworks to analyze and improve sustainability reporting and sustainability performance management. Originality/value Although BAR is rich of contributions, including subfields and contaminations, it lacks a holistic evaluation of its origins, development and future perspectives. In this vein, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to use a bibliometric analysis to evaluate the evolution of BAR.

Analysis of Accountability and Transparency of Village Fund Allocation Management in Sebani Village, Pandaan District, Pasuruan Regency

The village as the smallest government system demands renewal to support improved village development and the standard of living of village communities that are far from poverty. The various problems in the village are very complex, making it a reason for the village to develop. The development progress in each village is no less important. This research aims to analyze accountability and transparency of village fund allocation management in Sebani Village, Pandaan District, Pasuruan Regency. The method in this study is a descriptive qualitative method by means of direct interviews with informants. The location of this accountability and transparency research is in Sebani Village, Pandaan District, Pasuruan Regency. This research was carried out for a period of 6 months, starting from January 2024 to June 2024. The data is processed using data analysis techniques with stages, namely data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusions. The results of the study based on the Regulation of the Minister of Home Affairs Number 20 of 2018 show that the management of village fund allocations in Sebani Village is accountable and transparent in the stages of administration, reporting, and accountability.

The Metaverse and Accounting: A Paradigm Shift in Emerging Technologies and Their Implications on Accounting Research

ABSTRACT The advent of the metaverse presents novel opportunities and challenges for the accounting field. As the metaverse integrates state-of-the-art technologies, it signifies a paradigm shift in internet applications and social phenomena. This study examines the future of accounting within the metaverse, concentrating on the potential advantages and hurdles arising from this dynamic environment. Utilizing a systematic literature review methodology, the research analyzes 49 articles published between 2018 and 2022 on the metaverse and associated technologies. The findings reveal that the metaverse affords many accounting opportunities, while concurrently posing unique challenges. Moreover, the emergence of the metaverse is expected to influence various accounting research domains, including financial reporting, auditing, taxation, management accounting, and accounting education. This research contributes to and expands the limited body of literature on accounting and metaverse technologies, offering insights into emerging opportunities, risks, and avenues for future research in this rapidly developing field. JEL Classifications: M15; M40; M41; M42.