IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/ausact/v25y2015i2p155-174.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Diversification of External Accountants Serving Small and Medium-sized Enterprises: Evidence from Belgium

Author

Listed:
  • Gerrit Sarens
  • Patricia Everaert
  • Frederik Verplancke
  • Ignace Beelde

Abstract

type="main"> The purpose of this study is: (1) to discover which services are offered by external accountants serving small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs); (2) to study the factors that are associated with the degree of diversification of the services offered by these accountants; and (3) to investigate if there are differences between self-employed accountants and accounting firms on the previous two points. This study has some interesting conclusions: (1) the heterogeneity of internal staff is not significantly associated with the degree of diversification; (2) a homogeneous internal staff with an accounting background is particularly important for accounting firms that diversify their services in the accounting and tax area; (3) collaboration with other service providers is an important factor associated with more diversification of the services; (4) marketing is only important for self-employed accountants; (5) accounting firms offer fewer non-accounting-related services if they serve more micro clients (fewer than 10 employees), whereas self-employed accountants offer more accounting and tax services if they serve more micro clients (fewer than 10 employees); and (6) accounting firms that diversify in accounting and tax services mainly serve more micro clients (fewer than 10 employees), whereas accounting firms that diversify in non-accounting areas serve more larger clients (more than 10 employees).

Suggested Citation

  • Gerrit Sarens & Patricia Everaert & Frederik Verplancke & Ignace Beelde, 2015. "Diversification of External Accountants Serving Small and Medium-sized Enterprises: Evidence from Belgium," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 25(2), pages 155-174, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ausact:v:25:y:2015:i:2:p:155-174
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1111/auar.12078
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    ---><---

    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. Patricia Everaert & Gerrit Sarens & Jan Rommel, 2010. "Using Transaction Cost Economics to explain outsourcing of accounting," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 35(1), pages 93-112, July.
    2. Robert J. Bennett & Paul J. A. Robson, 1999. "The use of external business advice by SMEs in Britain," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(2), pages 155-180, April.
    3. Sharmistha Bagchi-Sen & LINDA KUECHLER, 2000. "Strategic and Functional Orientation of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises in Professional Services: An Analysis of Public Accountancy," The Service Industries Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(3), pages 117-146, July.
    4. Kathleen M. Eisenhardt & Jeffrey A. Martin, 2000. "Dynamic capabilities: what are they?," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(10‐11), pages 1105-1121, October.
    5. R. J. Bennett & P. J. A. Robson & W. J. A. Bratton, 2001. "Government advice networks for SMEs: an assessment of the influence of local context on Business Link use, impact and satisfaction," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 33(7), pages 871-885.
    6. Fogarty, Timothy J. & Radcliffe, Vaughan S. & Campbell, David R., 2006. "Accountancy before the fall: The AICPA vision project and related professional enterprises," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 31(1), pages 1-25, January.
    7. Bill McEvily & Alfred Marcus, 2005. "Embedded ties and the acquisition of competitive capabilities," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(11), pages 1033-1055, November.
    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. Jenny Buchan & Lorelle Frazer & Scott Weaven & Binh Tran†Nam & Anthony Grace, 2018. "The Adequacy of Pre†purchase Due Diligence in Independent Small Business and Franchising," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 28(1), pages 127-139, March.
    2. Joe Putulowski & Rick Ardito & Robert Crosby, 2021. "A Quantitative Investigation: Applying the 4P's of Marketing to Entrepreneurial Accounting and Tax Preparer Firms," Technium Social Sciences Journal, Technium Science, vol. 21(1), pages 582-593, July.
    3. Robert Rieg, 2019. "Selbstständigkeit von Bilanzbuchhaltern und Controllern: Eine empirische Untersuchung zu Einkommen und Determinanten," ZfKE – Zeitschrift für KMU und Entrepreneurship, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin, vol. 67(1), pages 35-66.
    4. Branko Radulović & Miljan Savić, 2025. "Accounting practitioners and small business clients’ tax compliance: evidence from the survey of Serbian accountants," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 59(2), pages 277-305, April.
    5. Zahid Ali & Ghulam Mustafa, 2023. "On Accounting Firms Serving Small and Medium‐Sized Enterprises: A Review, Synthesis and Research Agenda," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 33(3), pages 313-332, September.
    6. Inta Bruna & Kastytis Senkus & Rasa Subaciene & Ruta Sneidere, 2017. "Evaluation of Perception of Accountant`s Role at the Enterprise in Latvia and Lithuania," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(3A), pages 143-163.

    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. Sharma, Sunil, 2015. "Internationalization of Firms from Emerging Economies: An Organizational Learning Framework," IIMA Working Papers WP2015-03-17, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, Research and Publication Department.
    2. Jeremy Galbreath & Chia‐Yang Chang & Daniel Tisch, 2023. "The impact of a proactive environmental strategy on environmentally sustainable practices in service firms: The moderating effect of information use value," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(8), pages 5420-5434, December.
    3. Cumming, Douglas J. & Fischer, Eileen, 2012. "Publicly funded business advisory services and entrepreneurial outcomes," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(2), pages 467-481.
    4. Lee, Po-Yen & Lin, Hui-Tzu & Chen, Hung-Hsin & Shyr, Yi-Hwan, 2011. "Dynamic capabilities exploitation of market and hierarchy governance structures: An empirical comparison of Taiwan and South Korea," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 46(3), pages 359-370, July.
    5. Gianni Lorenzoni, 2010. "Genesis of a research field: district, network, strategic network," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 14(3), pages 221-239, August.
    6. Robert Rieg, 2019. "Selbstständigkeit von Bilanzbuchhaltern und Controllern: Eine empirische Untersuchung zu Einkommen und Determinanten," ZfKE – Zeitschrift für KMU und Entrepreneurship, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin, vol. 67(1), pages 35-66.
    7. Crespo, Nuno Fernandes & Crespo, Cátia Fernandes & Silva, Graça Miranda, 2024. "Every cloud has a silver lining: The role of business digitalization and early internationalization strategies to overcome cloudy times," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
    8. Ma, Darren & Fisher, Richard & Nesbit, Trevor, 2021. "Cloud-based client accounting and small and medium accounting practices: Adoption and impact," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 41(C).
    9. Arun Rai & Xinlin Tang, 2010. "Leveraging IT Capabilities and Competitive Process Capabilities for the Management of Interorganizational Relationship Portfolios," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 21(3), pages 516-542, September.
    10. Lichtenthaler, Ulrich, 2008. "Externally commercializing technology assets: An examination of different process stages," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 23(4), pages 445-464, July.
    11. Martín-Tapia, Inmaculada & Aragón-Correa, J. Alberto & Rueda-Manzanares, Antonio, 2010. "Environmental strategy and exports in medium, small and micro-enterprises," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 45(3), pages 266-275, July.
    12. Chen, Hung-hsin & Lee, Po-yen & Lay, Tzyy-jane, 2009. "Drivers of dynamic learning and dynamic competitive capabilities in international strategic alliances," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 62(12), pages 1289-1295, December.
    13. Kristine M. Kuhn & Tera L. Galloway, 2015. "With a Little Help from My Competitors: Peer Networking among Artisan Entrepreneurs," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 39(3), pages 571-600, May.
    14. Meng Zhang & Yong Qi, 2023. "Vertical Network Relationships, Technological Capabilities, and Innovation Performance: The Moderating Role of Strategic Flexibility," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-15, July.
    15. Daniel Palacios & Ignacio Gil & Fernando Garrigos, 2009. "The impact of knowledge management on innovation and entrepreneurship in the biotechnology and telecommunications industries," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 32(3), pages 291-301, March.
    16. Xu, Hangjun & Guo, Huiling & Zhang, Jing & Dang, Anh, 2018. "Facilitating dynamic marketing capabilities development for domestic and foreign firms in an emerging economy," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 141-152.
    17. Joydeep Chatterjee, 2017. "Strategy, human capital investments, business‐domain capabilities, and performance: a study in the global software services industry," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(3), pages 588-608, March.
    18. Branko Radulović & Miljan Savić, 2025. "Accounting practitioners and small business clients’ tax compliance: evidence from the survey of Serbian accountants," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 59(2), pages 277-305, April.
    19. Song, Hua & Yang, Xuan & Yu, Kangkang, 2020. "How do supply chain network and SMEs’ operational capabilities enhance working capital financing? An integrative signaling view," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 220(C).
    20. Jessica Birkholz & Jarina Kühn, 2021. "Entrepreneurship Perception during the first COVID-19 Shock: Mental Representations of Entrepreneurship and Preferences of Business Models during the Pandemic," Bremen Papers on Economics & Innovation 2105, University of Bremen, Faculty of Business Studies and Economics.

    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:bla:ausact:v:25:y:2015:i:2:p:155-174. 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: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=1035-6908 .

    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.