IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/taf/acctbr/v40y2010i2p149-171.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The social scientific turn in UK financial accounting research: A philosophical and sociological analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Brian Rutherford

Abstract

The demise of the classical programme of financial accounting research is generally represented as a progressive development. This paper argues that the academy's abandonment of classical methods was justified neither by the fruitfulness of post‐classical programmes nor by their incontestable epistemological superiority. Rather, what occurred was a turn to mainstream social science, reflecting sociological characteristics of the UK financial accounting research community. The paper concludes with a call for a revival of the classical programme.

Suggested Citation

  • Brian Rutherford, 2010. "The social scientific turn in UK financial accounting research: A philosophical and sociological analysis," Accounting and Business Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(2), pages 149-171.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:acctbr:v:40:y:2010:i:2:p:149-171
    DOI: 10.1080/00014788.2010.9663389
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/00014788.2010.9663389
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1080/00014788.2010.9663389?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gordon Richardson & Surjit Tinaikar, 2004. "Accounting based valuation models: what have we learned?," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 44(2), pages 223-255, July.
    2. Reiter, Sara Ann & Williams, Paul F., 2002. "The structure and progressivity of accounting research: the crisis in the academy revisited," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 27(6), pages 575-607, August.
    3. Francis, Jennifer, 2001. "Discussion of empirical research on accounting choice," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(1-3), pages 309-319, September.
    4. Ball, R & Foster, G, 1982. "Corporate Financial-Reporting - A Methodological Review Of Empirical-Research," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20, pages 161-234.
    5. Barth, Mary E. & Beaver, William H. & Landsman, Wayne R., 2001. "The relevance of the value relevance literature for financial accounting standard setting: another view," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(1-3), pages 77-104, September.
    6. Hoskin, Keith W. & Macve, Richard H., 1986. "Accounting and the examination: A genealogy of disciplinary power," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 11(2), pages 105-136, March.
    7. Whitley, R. D., 1988. "The possibility and utility of positive accounting theory," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 13(6), pages 631-645, October.
    8. Holthausen, Robert W. & Watts, Ross L., 2001. "The relevance of the value-relevance literature for financial accounting standard setting," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(1-3), pages 3-75, September.
    9. Vivien Beattie & Elizabeth Davie, 2006. "Theoretical studies of the historical development of the accounting discipline: A review and evidence," Accounting History Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(1), pages 1-25.
    10. Yves Gendron & C. Richard Baker, 2005. "On interdisciplinary movements: The development of a network of support around Foucaultian perspectives in accounting research," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(3), pages 525-569.
    11. Ball, R & Brown, P, 1968. "Empirical Evaluation Of Accounting Income Numbers," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 6(2), pages 159-178.
    12. Hopwood, Anthony G., 1987. "The archeology of accounting systems," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 12(3), pages 207-234, April.
    13. Lev, B & Ohlson, Ja, 1982. "Market-Based Empirical-Research In Accounting - A Review, Interpretation, And Extension," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20, pages 249-322.
    14. Salvador Carmona & Isabel Gutierrez & Macario Camara, 1999. "A profile of European accounting research: evidence from leading research journals," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 8(3), pages 463-480.
    15. Kothari, S. P., 2001. "Capital markets research in accounting," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(1-3), pages 105-231, September.
    16. Miller, Peter & O'Leary, Ted, 1987. "Accounting and the construction of the governable person," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 12(3), pages 235-265, April.
    17. Duff, A. & Monk, E.A., 2006. "Attitudes of new appointees to accounting and finance departments in the higher education sector," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 38(2), pages 193-220.
    18. Lowe, E. A. & Puxty, A. G. & Laughlin, R. C., 1983. "Simple theories for complex processes: Accounting policy and the market for myopia," Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, Elsevier, vol. 2(1), pages 19-42.
    19. Fields, Thomas D. & Lys, Thomas Z. & Vincent, Linda, 2001. "Empirical research on accounting choice," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(1-3), pages 255-307, September.
    20. Laughlin, Richard C., 1987. "Accounting systems in organisational contexts: A case for critical theory," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 12(5), pages 479-502, August.
    21. Pascal Dumontier & Bernard Raffournier, 2002. "Accounting and capital markets: a survey of the European evidence," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(1), pages 119-151.
    22. Ball, Ray & Kothari, S. P. & Robin, Ashok, 2000. "Corrigendum to "The effect of international institutional factors on properties of accounting earnings"; [Journal of Accounting and Economics 29 (2000) 1-51]," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(2), pages 241-241, October.
    23. Rob Gray & James Guthrie & Lee Parker, 2002. "Rites of passage and the self‐immolation of academic accounting labour: an essay exploring exclusivity versus mutuality in accounting scholarship," Accounting Forum, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(1), pages 1-30, March.
    24. Beattie, Vivien, 2005. "Moving the financial accounting research front forward: the UK contribution," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 85-114.
    25. Unknown, 2005. "Forward," 2005 Conference: Slovenia in the EU - Challenges for Agriculture, Food Science and Rural Affairs, November 10-11, 2005, Moravske Toplice, Slovenia 183804, Slovenian Association of Agricultural Economists (DAES).
    26. Ball, R & Foster, G, 1982. "Corporate Financial-Reporting - A Methodological Review Of Empirical-Research - Reply," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20, pages 245-248.
    27. Ball, Ray & Kothari, S. P. & Robin, Ashok, 2000. "The effect of international institutional factors on properties of accounting earnings," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 1-51, February.
    28. Lee, Charles M. C., 2001. "Market efficiency and accounting research: a discussion of 'capital market research in accounting' by S.P. Kothari," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(1-3), pages 233-253, September.
    29. Bryan Howieson, 1996. "Whither Financial Accounting Research: A Modern-Day Bo-Peep?," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 6(11), pages 29-36, March.
    30. Basu, Sudipta, 1997. "The conservatism principle and the asymmetric timeliness of earnings," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 24(1), pages 3-37, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Monica Laura Zlati & Valentin Marian Antohi & Petronela Cardon, 2019. "Correction of Accounting Errors through Post Balance Sheet Event Analysis for Romanian Companies," Economies, MDPI, vol. 7(2), pages 1-22, April.
    2. Christoph Pelger & Markus Grottke, 2017. "Research diversity in accounting doctoral education: survey results from the German-speaking countries," Business Research, Springer;German Academic Association for Business Research, vol. 10(2), pages 307-336, October.
    3. Brian A. Rutherford, 2013. "A Pragmatist Defence of Classical Financial Accounting Research," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 49(2), pages 197-218, June.
    4. Brown, Rhoda & Jones, Michael, 2015. "Mapping and exploring the topography of contemporary financial accounting research," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 47(3), pages 237-261.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. S. P. Kothari & Charles Wasley, 2019. "Commemorating the 50‐Year Anniversary of Ball and Brown (1968): The Evolution of Capital Market Research over the Past 50 Years," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(5), pages 1117-1159, December.
    2. Filip, Andrei & Raffournier, Bernard, 2010. "The value relevance of earnings in a transition economy: The case of Romania," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 45(1), pages 77-103, March.
    3. Kothari, S.P. & Ramanna, Karthik & Skinner, Douglas J., 2010. "Implications for GAAP from an analysis of positive research in accounting," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(2-3), pages 246-286, December.
    4. Mohamed Sellami, 2006. "Typologie des déterminants comptables de la valeur : Apports de l'approche économique de l'information dans la mesure de la valeur," Post-Print halshs-00558252, HAL.
    5. Dechow, Patricia & Ge, Weili & Schrand, Catherine, 2010. "Understanding earnings quality: A review of the proxies, their determinants and their consequences," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(2-3), pages 344-401, December.
    6. Brown, Lawrence D., 1996. "Influential accounting articles, individuals, Ph.D. granting institutions and faculties: A citational analysis," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 21(7-8), pages 723-754.
    7. Rolf Uwe Fülbier & Thorsten Sellhorn, 2023. "Understanding and improving the language of business: How accounting and corporate reporting research can better serve business and society," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 93(6), pages 1089-1124, August.
    8. Iatridis, George, 2010. "International Financial Reporting Standards and the quality of financial statement information," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 19(3), pages 193-204, June.
    9. Lawrence A. Boland & Irene M. Gordon, 1992. "Criticizing positive accounting theory," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 9(1), pages 142-170, September.
    10. Healy, Paul M. & Palepu, Krishna G., 2001. "Information asymmetry, corporate disclosure, and the capital markets: A review of the empirical disclosure literature," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(1-3), pages 405-440, September.
    11. Fargher, Neil & Wee, Marvin, 2019. "The impact of Ball and Brown (1968) on generations of research," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 55-72.
    12. Beattie, Vivien, 2005. "Moving the financial accounting research front forward: the UK contribution," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 85-114.
    13. Rolf Uwe Fülbier & Joerg‐Markus Hitz & Thorsten Sellhorn, 2009. "Relevance of Academic Research and Researchers' Role in the IASB's Financial Reporting Standard Setting," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 45(4), pages 455-492, December.
    14. Roychowdhury, Sugata & Watts, Ross L., 2007. "Asymmetric timeliness of earnings, market-to-book and conservatism in financial reporting," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 44(1-2), pages 2-31, September.
    15. Goncharov, Igor & Werner, Joerg R. & Zimmermann, Jochen, 2009. "Legislative demands and economic realities: Company and group accounts compared," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 44(4), pages 334-362, December.
    16. Iatridis, George & Valahi, Styliani, 2010. "Voluntary IAS 1 accounting disclosures prior to official IAS adoption: An empirical investigation of UK firms," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 24(1), pages 1-14, January.
    17. Karampinis, Nikolaos I. & Hevas, Dimosthenis L., 2011. "Mandating IFRS in an Unfavorable Environment: The Greek Experience," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 46(3), pages 304-332, September.
    18. Maigoshi, Zaharaddeen Salisu & Latif, Rohaida Abdul & Kamardin, Hasnah, 2018. "Change in value-relevance of disclosed RPT across accounting regimes: Evidence from Malaysia," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 422-433.
    19. Lavinia Minodora Takacs, 2012. "The Value Relevance Of Earnings In A Transition Economy: Evidence From Romanian Stock Market," Annales Universitatis Apulensis Series Oeconomica, Faculty of Sciences, "1 Decembrie 1918" University, Alba Iulia, vol. 1(14), pages 1-8.
    20. Butler, Marty & Kraft, Arthur & Weiss, Ira S., 2007. "The effect of reporting frequency on the timeliness of earnings: The cases of voluntary and mandatory interim reports," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(2-3), pages 181-217, July.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:taf:acctbr:v:40:y:2010:i:2:p:149-171. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Longhurst (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.tandfonline.com/RABR20 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.