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Accounting and finance in UK universities: Academic labour, shortages and strategies

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  • Smith, Sarah Jane
  • Urquhart, Vivien

Abstract

This paper contributes to the literature on change in the higher education sector arising from massification, increased political control, international mobility and competition. Drawing on various data sources and labour shortage models, it considers academic labour in UK accounting and finance academia over the period 2000 to 2012. A disequilibrium between supply and demand is evidenced through the identification of recruitment problems, unfilled vacancies, and retirements. The impact of research assessment on faculty backgrounds is shown to result in inadequate supply of faculty with the required skills. Strategic responses to labour shortages include: increased recruitment efforts, early promotions, enhanced remuneration and reducing restrictions on occupational entry. The consequences and future implications of shortages and strategies are considered. In particular, the decoupling of research and teaching in accounting is challenging the future existence of accounting as an academic discipline. The current generation of accounting academics is also under threat – if they neither excel at research nor are professionally-qualified they risk becoming undesirable.

Suggested Citation

  • Smith, Sarah Jane & Urquhart, Vivien, 2018. "Accounting and finance in UK universities: Academic labour, shortages and strategies," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 50(6), pages 588-601.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:bracre:v:50:y:2018:i:6:p:588-601
    DOI: 10.1016/j.bar.2018.03.002
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    Cited by:

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    2. Gerdin, Jonas & Englund, Hans, 2022. "Vertical, horizontal, and self control in academia: Survey evidence on their diverging effects on perceived researcher autonomy and identity," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 54(5).
    3. David Bond & Victoria J. Clout & Robert M. J. Czernkowski & Anna Wright, 2021. "Research productivity of Australian accounting academics," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 61(1), pages 1081-1104, March.
    4. Luisa A. Unda & Amrinder Khosa & Steven Burch & Carla Wilkin, 2020. "Sustainability of the accounting and finance academic profession: students’ and supervisors’ views about the PhD supervision process," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 60(3), pages 3103-3132, September.
    5. Khosa, Amrinder & Burch, Steven & Ozdil, Esin & Wilkin, Carla, 2020. "Current issues in PhD supervision of accounting and finance students: Evidence from Australia and New Zealand," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 52(5).

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