IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/crpeac/v25y2014i1p17-26.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Financialisation and the Conceptual Framework

Author

Listed:
  • Zhang, Ying
  • Andrew, Jane

Abstract

The ongoing neoliberalisation of global economies has been well documented. Neoliberalism requires a commitment to a broad set of ideas about how political economies should operate, and these ideas underpin the transformations of practice in the process of neoliberalisation—both at a technical and conceptual level. Transactions within a neoliberal economy need to be accounted for in a way that accords with this broader set of ideas. Specifically, the growth of accumulation through financial markets has seen a concurrent growth in accounts that both reflects and reproduces finance at its centre. These accounts are more than just reports; they condition our expectations and support the production of further accounts, which in turn reinforce the dominant political economy. Despite the connection between neoliberalism, financialisation and the practice of accounting, the role of accounting in the process of neoliberalisation has received only limited attention. In order to contribute to a deeper understanding of these processes and to the role that accounting plays within them, this paper re-examines the Conceptual Framework (CF) to show how it forms an important part of the architecture of neoliberalism, providing coherence and legitimacy to its key ideas. The current CF project was jointly conducted by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and the US Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), and is positioned within the broader literature on neoliberalism and financialisation. This paper shows how changes in terminology, shifts in notions of income and the popularity of market valuations (fair value accounting) work to normalise the speculative characteristics of financial markets. Through this newly configured globalised CF, the regulatory architecture of accounting may work to sustain the centrality of finance in a post-GFC economy, despite its many deficiencies.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhang, Ying & Andrew, Jane, 2014. "Financialisation and the Conceptual Framework," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 25(1), pages 17-26.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:crpeac:v:25:y:2014:i:1:p:17-26
    DOI: 10.1016/j.cpa.2012.11.012
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1045235412001335
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.cpa.2012.11.012?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. Philippe Van Cauwenberge & Ignace De Beelde, 2007. "On the IASB comprehensive income project: an analysis of the case for dual income display," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 43(1), pages 1-26, March.
    2. James Crotty, 2003. "The Neoliberal Paradox: The Impact of Destructive Product Market Competition and Impatient Finance on Nonfinancial Corporations in the Neoliberal Era," Review of Radical Political Economics, Union for Radical Political Economics, vol. 35(3), pages 271-279, September.
    3. Roberts, John & Jones, Megan, 2009. "Accounting for self interest in the credit crisis," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 34(6-7), pages 856-867, August.
    4. Ronald Dore, 2008. "Financialization of the global economy," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 17(6), pages 1097-1112, December.
    5. Heilpern, Eliot & Haslam, Colin & Andersson, Tord, 2009. "When it comes to the crunch: What are the drivers of the US banking crisis?," Accounting forum, Elsevier, vol. 33(2), pages 99-113.
    6. Cooper, David J. & Sherer, Michael J., 1984. "The value of corporate accounting reports: Arguments for a political economy of accounting," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 9(3-4), pages 207-232, October.
    7. Dick Bryan & Randy Martin & Mike Rafferty, 2009. "Financialization and Marx: Giving Labor and Capital a Financial Makeover," Review of Radical Political Economics, Union for Radical Political Economics, vol. 41(4), pages 458-472, December.
    8. Tinker, Anthony M. & Merino, Barbara D. & Neimark, Marilyn Dale, 1982. "The normative origins of positive theories: Ideology and accounting thought," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 7(2), pages 167-200, April.
    9. Thomas I. Palley, 2013. "Financialization: What It Is and Why It Matters," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Financialization, chapter 2, pages 17-40, Palgrave Macmillan.
    10. Porter Tony, 2005. "Private Authority, Technical Authority, and the Globalization of Accounting Standards," Business and Politics, De Gruyter, vol. 7(3), pages 1-32, December.
    11. Andrew, Jane & Kaidonis, Mary A. & Andrew, Brian, 2010. "Carbon tax: Challenging neoliberal solutions to climate change," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 21(7), pages 611-618.
    12. Eliot Heilpern & Colin Haslam & Tord Andersson, 2009. "When it comes to the crunch: What are the drivers of the US banking crisis?," Accounting Forum, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 33(2), pages 99-113, June.
    13. Newberry, Susan & Robb, Alan, 2008. "Financialisation: Constructing shareholder value … for some," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 19(5), pages 741-763.
    14. Hines, Ruth D., 1991. "The FASB's conceptual framework, financial accounting and the maintenance of the social world," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 16(4), pages 313-331.
    15. Alfred Wagenhofer, 2009. "Global accounting standards: reality and ambitions," Accounting Research Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 22(1), pages 68-80, July.
    16. McSweeney, Brendan, 2009. "The roles of financial asset market failure denial and the economic crisis: Reflections on accounting and financial theories and practices," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 34(6-7), pages 835-848, August.
    17. Rayman, R.A., 2007. "Fair value accounting and the present value fallacy: The need for an alternative conceptual framework," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 39(3), pages 211-225.
    18. Robert Boyer, 2007. "Assessing the impact of fair value upon financial crises," PSE-Ecole d'économie de Paris (Postprint) hal-00812978, HAL.
    19. Hopwood, Anthony G., 1987. "The archeology of accounting systems," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 12(3), pages 207-234, April.
    20. Guillaume Plantin & Haresh Sapra & Hyun Song Shin, 2008. "Marking‐to‐Market: Panacea or Pandora's Box?," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(2), pages 435-460, May.
    21. Mennicken, Andrea, 2010. "From inspection to auditing: Audit and markets as linked ecologies," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 35(3), pages 334-359, April.
    22. Cooper, Christine & Danson, Mike & Whittam, Geoff & Sheridan, Tommy, 2010. "The neoliberal project—Local taxation intervention in Scotland," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 21(3), pages 195-210.
    23. Robert Boyer, 2007. "Assessing the impact of fair value upon financial crises," Post-Print hal-00812978, HAL.
    24. James Crotty, 2009. "Structural causes of the global financial crisis: a critical assessment of the 'new financial architecture'," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 33(4), pages 563-580, July.
    25. Martinez-Diaz, Leonardo, 2005. "Strategic Experts and Improvising Regulators: Explaining the IASC's Rise to Global Influence, 1973–2001," Business and Politics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 7(3), pages 1-26, December.
    26. Haslam, Jim, 2010. "The problematics of financialization: Critical reflections," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 21(7), pages 642-645.
    27. Arnold, Patricia J., 2009. "Global financial crisis: The challenge to accounting research," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 34(6-7), pages 803-809, August.
    28. Lu Zhang & Chen Xue & Frederico Belo, 2012. "Accounting for Value," 2012 Meeting Papers 1128, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    29. Ying Zhang & Jane Andrew & Kathy Rudkin, 2012. "Accounting as an instrument of neoliberalisation?," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 25(8), pages 1266-1289, October.
    30. Porter, Tony, 2005. "Private Authority, Technical Authority, and the Globalization of Accounting Standards," Business and Politics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 7(3), pages 1-30, December.
    31. Hopwood, Anthony G., 2009. "The economic crisis and accounting: Implications for the research community," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 34(6-7), pages 797-802, August.
    32. Andersson, Tord & Gleadle, Pauline & Haslam, Colin & Tsitsianis, Nick, 2010. "Bio-pharma: A financialized business model," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 21(7), pages 631-641.
    33. Tord Andersson & Colin Haslam & Edward Lee & Nick Tsitisianis, 2007. "Financialized accounts: Share buy-backs, mark to market and holding the financial line in the S&P 500," Accounting Forum, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(2), pages 165-178, June.
    34. Mennicken, Andrea, 2010. "From inspection to auditing: audit and markets as linked ecologies," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 27054, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    35. Whittington, Geoffrey, 2008. "Harmonisation or discord? The critical role of the IASB conceptual framework review," Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, Elsevier, vol. 27(6), pages 495-502.
    36. Young, Joni J., 2006. "Making up users," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 31(6), pages 579-600, August.
    37. Arnold, Patricia & Hammond, Theresa, 1994. "The role of accounting in ideological conflict: Lessons from the South African divestment movement," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 19(2), pages 111-126, February.
    38. Martinez-Diaz Leonardo, 2005. "Strategic Experts and Improvising Regulators: Explaining the IASC's Rise to Global Influence, 1973-2001," Business and Politics, De Gruyter, vol. 7(3), pages 1-28, December.
    39. Coles, Jeffrey L. & Daniel, Naveen D. & Naveen, Lalitha, 2006. "Managerial incentives and risk-taking," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(2), pages 431-468, February.
    40. Young, Joni J., 2003. "Constructing, persuading and silencing: the rhetoric of accounting standards," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 28(6), pages 621-638, August.
    41. Michael Bradbury, 2008. "Discussion of Whittington," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 44(2), pages 169-180, June.
    42. Wolfgang Dick & Peter Walton, 2007. "The IASB Agenda — A Moving Target," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 17(42), pages 8-17, July.
    43. Geoffrey Whittington, 2008. "Fair Value and the IASB/FASB Conceptual Framework Project: An Alternative View," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 44(2), pages 139-168, June.
    44. Camfferman, Kees & Zeff, Stephen A., 2007. "Financial Reporting and Global Capital Markets: A History of the International Accounting Standards Committee, 1973-2000," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199296293.
    45. Cronin, Bruce, 2008. "Economic restructuring in New Zealand: A classical account," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 19(3), pages 340-382.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Horvat Robert & Korošec Bojana, 2015. "The Role of Accounting in a Society: Only a techn(olog)ical solution for the problem of economic measurement or also a tool of social ideology?," Naše gospodarstvo/Our economy, Sciendo, vol. 61(4), pages 32-40, August.
    2. Yasmine Chahed, 2021. "Words and Numbers: Financialization and Accounting Standard‐Setting in the United Kingdom," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 38(1), pages 302-337, March.
    3. Botzem, Sebastian, 2014. "Transnational standard setting in accounting: Organizing expertise-based self-regulation in times of crises," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 27(6), pages 933-955.
    4. Ejiogu, Amanze & Ambituuni, Ambisisi & Ejiogu, Chibuzo, 2021. "Accounting for accounting’s role in the neoliberalization processes of social housing in England: A Bourdieusian perspective," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    5. Palea, Vera & Biancone, Paolo Pietro, 2017. "Which Accounting Rules for Economic and Social Sustainable Development? Engaging Critically with IFRS Adoption in the EU," Department of Economics and Statistics Cognetti de Martiis. Working Papers 201733, University of Turin.
    6. Morales, Jérémy & Sponem, Samuel, 2017. "You too can have a critical perspective! 25 years of Critical Perspectives on Accounting," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 149-166.
    7. Palea, Vera, 2017. "Whither accounting research? A European view," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 59-73.
    8. Palea, Vera, 2015. "The political economy of fair value reporting and the governance of the standards-setting process: Critical issues and pitfalls from a continental European union perspective," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 1-15.
    9. Zhang, Ying & Andrew, Jane, 2022. "Financialisation and the Conceptual Framework: An update," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    10. Ala, Alessandro S. & Lapsley, Irvine, 2019. "Accounting for crime in the neoliberal world," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 51(5).
    11. Erb, Carsten & Pelger, Christoph, 2015. "“Twisting words”? A study of the construction and reconstruction of reliability in financial reporting standard-setting," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 13-40.
    12. Pucci, Richard & Skærbæk, Peter, 2020. "The co-performation of financial economics in accounting standard-setting: A study of the translation of the expected credit loss model in IFRS 9," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    13. Palea, Vera, 2015. "Journal Rankings and the Sustainability of Diversity in Accounting Research," Department of Economics and Statistics Cognetti de Martiis. Working Papers 201546, University of Turin.
    14. Palea, Vera, 2018. "Financial reporting for sustainable development: Critical insights into IFRS implementation in the European Union," Accounting forum, Elsevier, vol. 42(3), pages 248-260.
    15. Bakre, Owolabi M. & Lauwo, Sarah, 2016. "Privatisation and accountability in a “crony capitalist” Nigerian state," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 45-58.
    16. Müller, Julian, 2014. "An accounting revolution? The financialisation of standard setting," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 25(7), pages 539-557.
    17. Thereza RS de Aguiar, 2018. "Turning accounting for emissions rights inside out as well as upside down," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 36(1), pages 139-159, February.
    18. Zhang, Eagle & Andrew, Jane, 2016. "Rethinking China: Discourse, convergence and fair value accounting," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 1-21.
    19. S. Susela Devi & R. Helen Samujh, 2015. "The Political Economy of Convergence: The Case of IFRS for SMEs," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 25(2), pages 124-138, June.
    20. Silva, Aldy Fernandes da & Weffort, Elionor Farah Jreige & Flores, Eduardo da Silva & Silva, Glauco Peres da, 2014. "Gerenciamento de resultados e crises econômicas no mercado de capitais brasileiro," RAE - Revista de Administração de Empresas, FGV-EAESP Escola de Administração de Empresas de São Paulo (Brazil), vol. 54(3), May.

    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:eee:crpeac:v:25:y:2014:i:1:p:17-26. 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: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/critical-perspectives-on-accounting/ .

    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.