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Accounting's representation of industrial expansion and decline: Some evidence from practice at Vickers Shipbuilding, 1910–24

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  • Arnold, A.J.

Abstract

This paper puts forward an exploratory methodology for measuring the yearly representational effects of accounting, as the difference between the constructed profit measure and its underlying transactional base, in response to a call from the World Congress of Accounting Historians for research on differences in the way accounting represents organisational success across periods of industrial expansion and decline. The suggested approach has then been applied to data drawn from the archives of one of Britain's most important shipbuilders, Vickers at Barrow, across a period of unprecedented change in the industry, providing a basis for discussion of the observable representational effects.

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  • Arnold, A.J., 2015. "Accounting's representation of industrial expansion and decline: Some evidence from practice at Vickers Shipbuilding, 1910–24," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 47(2), pages 191-203.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:bracre:v:47:y:2015:i:2:p:191-203
    DOI: 10.1016/j.bar.2013.10.005
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. P. L. Payne, 1967. "The Emergence of the Large-scale Company in Great Britain, 1870-1914," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 20(3), pages 519-542, December.
    2. Bryer, R. A., 2000. "The history of accounting and the transition to capitalism in England. Part one: theory," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 25(2), pages 131-162, February.
    3. McSWEENEY, BRENDAN, 1997. "The Unbearable Ambiguity Of Accounting," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 22(7), pages 691-712, October.
    4. Edwards, John Richard & Dean, Graeme & Clarke, Frank, 2009. "Merchants' accounts, performance assessment and decision making in mercantilist Britain," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 34(5), pages 551-570, July.
    5. S. Pollard, 1952. "Laissez-Faire And Shipbuilding," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 5(1), pages 98-115, August.
    6. A. J. Arnold, 1997. "'Publishing your private affairs to the world': corporate financial disclosures in the UK 1900-24," Accounting History Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 7(2), pages 143-173.
    7. Toms, J.S., 2010. "Calculating profit: A historical perspective on the development of capitalism," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 35(2), pages 205-221, February.
    8. Geary, Frank, 1997. "The Emergence of Mass Unemployment: Wages and Employment in Shipbuilding between the Wars," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 21(3), pages 303-321, May.
    9. Bryer, R. A., 2000. "The history of accounting and the transition to capitalism in England. Part two: evidence," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 25(4-5), pages 327-381, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Jones, Michael John & Oldroyd, David, 2015. "The ‘internationalisation’ of accounting history publishing," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 47(2), pages 117-123.

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