IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/hal/journl/halshs-00365946.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Criticisms of capitalism, budgeting and the double enrolment: Budgetary control rhetoric and social reform in France in the 1930s and 1950s

Author

Listed:
  • Nicolas Berland

    (DRM - Dauphine Recherches en Management - Université Paris Dauphine-PSL - PSL - Université Paris sciences et lettres - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Eve Chiapello

    (GREGH - Groupement de Recherche et d'Etudes en Gestion à HEC - HEC Paris - Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

Abstract

This article is a contribution to the study of the spread of management innovations, methods and rhetorics. It particularly concerns the influence of ideological and political factors, which have so far mostly escaped in-depth study. In particular, we seek to understand to what extent a critique of society developed by social reformers can be a source of inspiration for managers, leading them to change their practices and experiment with new devices. Relying on the framework of historical change in management practices developed by Boltanski and Chiapello [Boltanski, L., & Chiapello, E. (2005). The new spirit of capitalism. London: Verso (Translation of Le nouvel esprit du capitalisme, Paris: Gallimard, 1999)], we study the specific development of budgetary control in France, examined in the light of the general political and economic history of the 20th century. This framework simultaneously encompasses the dissemination of a new accounting practice, the transformation of capitalist institutions and mo des of regulation in a given period and country, and the programmatic discourses [Miller, P., & Rose, N. (1990). Governing economic life. Economy and Society, 19(1), 1-31] associated with the historical move. More exactly, what interests us is a double enrolment process. The business world promoters of budgetary control use the rhetorics of social reformers to present budgetary control as a solution to the economic and social problems of their time; conversely, social reformers promote budgetary control as a realistic, efficient tool that can change the world. Ultimately, a degree of alliance is possible around this management tool, although the extent to which the meanings each group attributes to its action are shared may remain unclear. Based on an analysis of the writings of budgetary control promoters of the 1930s and the 1950s, we show the close links between their discourse and the reforming ideas of their time, and how we can trace through this corpus the evolution of this kind of political rationalities [Miller, P., & Rose, N. (1990). Governing economic life. Economy and Society, 19(1), 1-31] associated with governing and managing corporations we call the spirit of capitalism [Boltanski, L., & Chiapello, E. (2005). The new spirit of capitalism. London: Verso (Translation of Le nouvel esprit du capitalisme, Paris: Gallimard, 1999)].

Suggested Citation

  • Nicolas Berland & Eve Chiapello, 2009. "Criticisms of capitalism, budgeting and the double enrolment: Budgetary control rhetoric and social reform in France in the 1930s and 1950s," Post-Print halshs-00365946, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-00365946
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-00365946
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-00365946/document
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Henri Zimnovitch, 1997. "The development of standard costing at SaintGobain, 1920-60: forty years of quarantine?," Accounting History Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 7(3), pages 345-365.
    2. Nicolas Berland, 1999. "À quoi sert le contrôle budgétaire?," Revue Finance Contrôle Stratégie, revues.org, vol. 2(3), pages 5-24, September.
    3. repec:dau:papers:123456789/12198 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Nicolas Berland & Trevor Boyns, 2002. "The development of budgetary control in France and Britain from the 1920s to the 1960s: a comparison," Post-Print hal-01682328, HAL.
    5. Miller, Peter, 1990. "On the interrelations between accounting and the state," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 15(4), pages 315-338.
    6. Nicolas Berland, 2000. "Fonctions Du Controle Budgetaire Et Turbulence," Post-Print halshs-00587426, HAL.
    7. 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.
    8. Puxty, A. G. & Willmott, Hugh C. & Cooper, David J. & Lowe, Tony, 1987. "Modes of regulation in advanced capitalism: Locating accountancy in four countries," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 12(3), pages 273-291, April.
    9. Miller, Peter & O'Leary, Ted, 1994. "Accounting, "economic citizenship" and the spatial reordering of manufacture," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 19(1), pages 15-43, January.
    10. Baxter, Jane & Chua, Wai Fong, 2003. "Alternative management accounting research--whence and whither," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 28(2-3), pages 97-126.
    11. Eve Chiapello & Luc Boltanski, 2005. "The New Spirit of Capitalism," Post-Print hal-00680089, HAL.
    12. Preston, Alistair M. & Cooper, David J. & Coombs, Rod W., 1992. "Fabricating budgets: A study of the production of management budgeting in the national health service," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 17(6), pages 561-593, August.
    13. Nicolas Berland & Trevor Boyns, 2002. "The development of budgetary control in France and Britain from the 1920s to the 1960s: a comparison," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(2), pages 329-356.
    14. Walsh, Eamonn J. & Stewart, Ross E., 1993. "Accounting and the construction of institutions: The case of a factory," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 18(7-8), pages 783-800.
    15. Alfred D. Chandler, 1969. "Strategy and Structure: Chapters in the History of the American Industrial Enterprise," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262530090, December.
    16. Hopwood, Anthony G., 1983. "On trying to study accounting in the contexts in which it operates," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 8(2-3), pages 287-305, May.
    17. Loft, Anne, 1986. "Towards a critical understanding of accounting: The case of cost accounting in the U.K., 1914-1925," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 11(2), pages 137-169, March.
    18. Henri Zimnovitch, 2001. "Berliet, the obstructed manager: too clever, too soon?," Accounting History Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(1), pages 43-58.
    19. Burchell, Stuart & Clubb, Colin & Hopwood, Anthony G., 1985. "Accounting in its social context: Towards a history of value added in the United Kingdom," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 10(4), pages 381-413, October.
    20. Bourguignon, Annick & Chiapello, Eve, 2003. "The Role of Criticism in the Dynamics of Performance Evaluation Systems," ESSEC Working Papers DR 03017, ESSEC Research Center, ESSEC Business School.
    21. Hopwood, Anthony G., 1978. "Towards an organizational perspective for the study of accounting and information systems," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 3(1), pages 3-13, February.
    22. Barreiros, Lídia., 1985. "Towards social accounting," ILO Working Papers 992431063402676, International Labour Organization.
    23. 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.
    24. Colwyn Jones, T. & Dugdale, David, 2002. "The ABC bandwagon and the juggernaut of modernity," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 27(1-2), pages 121-163.
    25. Nicolas Berland, 1998. "The availability of information and the accumulation of experience as motors for the diffusion of budgetary control: the French experience from the 1920s to the 1960s," Accounting History Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 8(3), pages 303-329.
    26. repec:dau:papers:123456789/3399 is not listed on IDEAS
    27. Miller, Peter, 1991. "Accounting innovation beyond the enterprise: Problematizing investment decisions and programming economic growth in the U.K. in the 1960s," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 16(8), pages 733-762.
    28. Yannick Lemarchand & Frédéric Leroy, 2000. "L'introduction de la comptabilité analytique en France:de l'institutionalisation d'une pratique de gestion," Revue Finance Contrôle Stratégie, revues.org, vol. 3(4), pages 83-111, December.
    29. Burchell, Stuart & Clubb, Colin & Hopwood, Anthony & Hughes, John & Nahapiet, Janine, 1980. "The roles of accounting in organizations and society," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 5(1), pages 5-27, January.
    30. repec:dau:papers:123456789/12196 is not listed on IDEAS
    31. Nicolas Berland, 1998. "The availability of information and the accumulation of experience as motors for the diffusion of budgetary control: the French experience from the 1920s to the 1960s," Post-Print hal-01667195, HAL.
    32. Trevor Boyns, 1998. "Budgets and budgetary control in British businesses to c.1945," Accounting History Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 8(3), pages 261-301.
    33. Chua, Wai Fong, 1995. "Experts, networks and inscriptions in the fabrication of accounting images: A story of the representation of three public hospitals," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 20(2-3), pages 111-145.
    34. Eve Chiapello & Luc Boltanski, 2005. "The New Spirit of Capitalism," Post-Print hal-00678024, HAL.
    35. 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.
    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. Gooneratne, Tharusha N. & Hoque, Zahirul, 2016. "Institutions, agency and the institutionalization of budgetary control in a hybrid state-owned entity," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 58-70.
    2. repec:dau:papers:123456789/3888 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Nicolas Berland & Yves Levant & Vassili Joannides, 2009. "Institutionalisation and deinstitutionalisation of budget. Symmetrical analysis of rhetoric associated to the introduction of budget and “beyond budgeting”," Post-Print halshs-00459462, HAL.
    4. Staci A. Kenno & Michelle C. Lau & Barbara J. Sainty, 2018. "In Search of a Theory of Budgeting: A Literature Review," Accounting Perspectives, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 17(4), pages 507-553, December.
    5. Nicolas Berland & Yves Levant & Vassili Joannides, 2009. "Institutionalisation and deinstitutionalisation of budget. Symmetrical analysis of rhetoric associated to the introduction of budget and “beyond budgeting”," Grenoble Ecole de Management (Post-Print) hal-01661710, HAL.
    6. Papi, Luca & Bigoni, Michele & Deidda Gagliardo, Enrico & Funnell, Warwick, 2019. "Accounting for power and resistance: The University of Ferrara under the Fascist regime in Italy," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 59-76.
    7. Luca Papi & Michele Bigoni & Giorgia Gobbo & Enrico Deidda Gagliardo, 2020. "Using accounting as a political weapon. The University of Ferrara and Italian Fascism," CONTABILIT? E CULTURA AZIENDALE, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 0(1), pages 7-31.
    8. Nicolas Berland & Yves Levant & Vassili Joannides, 2009. "Institutionalisation and deinstitutionalisation of budget. Symmetrical analysis of rhetoric associated to the introduction of budget and “beyond budgeting”," Post-Print hal-01661710, HAL.
    9. La Torre, Matteo & Dumay, John & Rea, Michele Antonio & Abhayawansa, Subhash, 2020. "A journey towards a safe harbour: The rhetorical process of the International Integrated Reporting Council," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 52(2).
    10. Laura Girella, 2013. "Regulating through the "Logic of Appropriateness" and the "Rhetoric of the Expert": The Role of Consultants in the Case of Intangibles Reporting in Germany," FINANCIAL REPORTING, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2013(3-4), pages 75-109.
    11. repec:dau:papers:123456789/6741 is not listed on IDEAS
    12. Kilfoyle, Eksa & Richardson, Alan J., 2011. "Agency and structure in budgeting: Thesis, antithesis and synthesis," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 22(2), pages 183-199.
    13. Gibassier, Delphine, 2017. "From écobilan to LCA: The elite’s institutional work in the creation of an environmental management accounting tool," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 36-58.

    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. Napier, Christopher J., 2006. "Accounts of change: 30 years of historical accounting research," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 31(4-5), pages 445-507.
    2. Constable, Philip & Kuasirikun, Nooch, 2020. "From cosmological to commercial form: A Buddhist theory of ‘form’, ‘space’ and ‘stream of re-becoming’ in mid-19th century Thai accounting," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    3. Nicolas Berland & Yves Levant & Vassili Joannides, 2009. "Institutionalisation and deinstitutionalisation of budget. Symmetrical analysis of rhetoric associated to the introduction of budget and “beyond budgeting”," Grenoble Ecole de Management (Post-Print) hal-01661710, HAL.
    4. Mennicken, Andrea, 2002. "Bringing calculation back in: Sociological studies in accounting," economic sociology. perspectives and conversations, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies, vol. 3(3), pages 17-27.
    5. Nicolas Berland & Yves Levant & Vassili Joannides, 2009. "Institutionalisation and deinstitutionalisation of budget. Symmetrical analysis of rhetoric associated to the introduction of budget and “beyond budgeting”," Post-Print hal-01661710, HAL.
    6. Fasshauer, Ingrid, 2012. "Les interactions entre contrôle et stratégie : redéfinition du rôle des cadres intermédiaires et du levier interactif de contrôle," Economics Thesis from University Paris Dauphine, Paris Dauphine University, number 123456789/11150 edited by Berland, Nicolas.
    7. Cooper, David J. & Robson, Keith, 2006. "Accounting, professions and regulation: Locating the sites of professionalization," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 31(4-5), pages 415-444.
    8. Mohamed Ali Dakkam, 2018. "qui et à quoi sert la comptabilité ? Un état de l'art et quelques réflexions théoriques pour dépasser le déterminisme des différents paradigmes," Post-Print hal-01907865, HAL.
    9. Radcliffe, Vaughan S., 1998. "Efficiency audit: An assembly of rationalities and programmes," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 23(4), pages 377-410, May.
    10. Pflueger, Dane, 2016. "Knowing patients: The customer survey and the changing margins of accounting in healthcare," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 17-33.
    11. Robson, Keith & Bottausci, Chiara, 2018. "The sociology of translation and accounting inscriptions: Reflections on Latour and Accounting Research," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 60-75.
    12. Jones, Michael John, 2010. "Sources of power and infrastructural conditions in medieval governmental accounting," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 35(1), pages 81-94, January.
    13. Carnegie, Garry D. & McBride, Karen M. & Napier, Christopher J. & Parker, Lee D., 2020. "Accounting history and theorising about organisations," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 52(6).
    14. Ahrens, Thomas & Chapman, Christopher S., 2006. "Doing qualitative field research in management accounting: Positioning data to contribute to theory," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 31(8), pages 819-841, November.
    15. repec:dau:papers:123456789/6741 is not listed on IDEAS
    16. repec:dau:papers:123456789/3888 is not listed on IDEAS
    17. 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.
    18. Nicolas Berland & Yves Levant & Vassili Joannides, 2009. "Institutionalisation and deinstitutionalisation of budget. Symmetrical analysis of rhetoric associated to the introduction of budget and “beyond budgeting”," Post-Print halshs-00459462, HAL.
    19. repec:dau:papers:123456789/3884 is not listed on IDEAS
    20. DAMBRIN, Claire & PEZET, Anne, 2007. "Text and artefacts for creating a "World of Investment Decision-Making" : an empirical study into investment procedures," HEC Research Papers Series 865, HEC Paris.
    21. Bigoni, Michele & Funnell, Warwick, 2015. "Ancestors of governmentality: Accounting and pastoral power in the 15th century," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 160-176.
    22. Toms, J. S., 2002. "The rise of modern accounting and the fall of the public company: the Lancashire cotton mills 1870-1914," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 27(1-2), pages 61-84.
    23. Yves Levant & Simon Alcouffe & Nicolas Berland, 2008. "Actor-networks and the diffusion of management accounting innovations : a comparative study," Post-Print hal-01682216, HAL.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    accounting; organizations; society;
    All these keywords.

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    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:hal:journl:halshs-00365946. 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: CCSD (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/ .

    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.