IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eme/aaajpp/v23y2010i3p373-391.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Contending legitimations

Author

Listed:
  • Antti Rautiainen

Abstract

Purpose - “Contending legitimations” (Meyer and Scott) in cities – and especially multiple conflicting institutional pressures on decision makers – have not received sufficient accounting study. Therefore this paper aims to analyse the multiple institutional pressures on the performance measurement (PM) practices of two Finnish cities and answer why the developments and the coupling of budget or PM rules and routines were different in these relatively similar case cities. Design/methodology/approach - In this interpretive study, a comparative case setting (e.g. including several semi‐structured interviews) was used. Findings - Contending legitimations affect the coupling of city budgeting and PM rules and routines. It was found that a city is likely to experience decoupling of formal PM rules and routines if there are conflicting normative institutional pressures among decision makers (especially among City Board members). Research limitations/implications - As case studies cannot be generalized, further research on the institutional pressures on accounting PM in cities is encouraged. Practical implications - Noting the contending legitimations may facilitate the management of projects for accounting change in cities. Originality/value - The paper contributes to accounting literature by illustrating the multiple institutional pressures and their effects on PM developments and on PM coupling in the case cities. As a refinement to the works by Abernethy and Chua, Granlund, and Ribeiro and Scapens contending legitimations can explain some complexities of PM related decision making as well as the will of key actors to promote or postpone changes.

Suggested Citation

  • Antti Rautiainen, 2010. "Contending legitimations," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 23(3), pages 373-391, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:eme:aaajpp:v:23:y:2010:i:3:p:373-391
    DOI: 10.1108/09513571011034343
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/09513571011034343/full/html?utm_source=repec&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=repec
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers
    File URL: https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/09513571011034343/full/pdf?utm_source=repec&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=repec
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1108/09513571011034343?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. Kurunmaki, Liisa, 2004. "A hybrid profession--the acquisition of management accounting expertise by medical professionals," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 29(3-4), pages 327-347.
    2. Juan Manuel Garcia Lara & Beatriz Garcia Osma & Fernando Penalva, 2007. "Board of Directors' Characteristics and Conditional Accounting Conservatism: Spanish Evidence," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(4), pages 727-755.
    3. 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.
    4. Timo Hyvonen & Janne Jarvinen, 2006. "Contract-Based budgeting in health care: A study of the institutional processes of accounting change," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(1), pages 3-36.
    5. Kakkuri-Knuuttila, Marja-Liisa & Lukka, Kari & Kuorikoski, Jaakko, 2008. "Straddling between paradigms: A naturalistic philosophical case study on interpretive research in management accounting," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 33(2-3), pages 267-291.
    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. 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.
    2. Irvine Lapsley & Peter Miller & Fabrizio Panozzo, 2010. "Accounting for the city," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 23(3), pages 305-324, March.
    3. Moll, Jodie & Hoque, Zahirul, 2011. "Budgeting for legitimacy: The case of an Australian university," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 36(2), pages 86-101, February.
    4. Sabrina Gigli & Laura Mariani & Angelo Paletta, 2021. "Management accounting and governance implications: The case of the University of Bologna," MANAGEMENT CONTROL, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2021(suppl. 2), pages 289-311.

    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. Stéphanie Chatelain-Ponroy, 2010. "Une voie de compréhension du contrôle de gestion dans les organisations non marchandes : la métaphore de l'iceberg," Post-Print halshs-00556868, HAL.
    2. Janne Järvinen, 2009. "Shifting NPM agendas and management accountants' occupational identities," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 22(8), pages 1187-1210, October.
    3. Ahrens, Thomas & Becker, Albrecht & Burns, John & Chapman, Christopher S. & Granlund, Markus & Habersam, Michael & Hansen, Allan & Khalifa, Rihab & Malmi, Teemu & Mennicken, Andrea & Mikes, Anette & P, 2008. "The future of interpretive accounting research—A polyphonic debate," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 19(6), pages 840-866.
    4. Verdier, Marie-Anne & Boutant Lapeyre, Jennifer, 2023. "The myth of workforce reduction efficiency: The performativity of accounting language," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    5. Juhani Vaivio, 2008. "Qualitative management accounting research: rationale, pitfalls and potential," Qualitative Research in Accounting & Management, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 5(1), pages 64-86, March.
    6. Sinikka Moilanen, 2008. "The role of accounting in the management control system: a case study of a family‐led firm," Qualitative Research in Accounting & Management, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 5(3), pages 165-183, October.
    7. Larissa von Alberti‐Alhtaybat & Khaldoon Al‐Htaybat, 2010. "Qualitative accounting research: an account of Glaser's grounded theory," Qualitative Research in Accounting & Management, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 7(2), pages 208-226, June.
    8. Guénin-Paracini, Henri & Malsch, Bertrand & Paillé, Anne Marché, 2014. "Fear and risk in the audit process," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 39(4), pages 264-288.
    9. Daly, Bonita A. & Schuler, Drue K., 1998. "Redefining a certified public accounting firm," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 23(5-6), pages 549-567.
    10. Lu, Yun & Ntim, Collins G. & Zhang, Qingjing & Li, Pingli, 2022. "Board of directors’ attributes and corporate outcomes: A systematic literature review and future research agenda," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    11. Utz Schäffer & Matthias D. Mahlendorf & Jochen Rehring, 2014. "Does the Interactive Use of Headquarter Performance Measurement Systems in Foreign Subsidiaries Endanger the Potential to Profit from Local Relationships?," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 24(1), pages 21-38, March.
    12. Suzuki, Tomo, 2003. "The accounting figuration of business statistics as a foundation for the spread of economic ideas," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 65-95, January.
    13. Abernethy, Margaret A. & Vagnoni, Emidia, 2004. "Power, organization design and managerial behaviour," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 29(3-4), pages 207-225.
    14. 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.
    15. Carmona, Salvador & Donoso, Rafael & Walker, Stephen P., 2010. "Accounting and international relations: Britain, Spain and the Asiento treaty," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 35(2), pages 252-273, February.
    16. Giovanni Gregorini, 2016. "Accounting, Charities and local government in modern Italy: the case of the Congrega della carit? apostolica in Brescia," CONTABILIT? E CULTURA AZIENDALE, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2016(2), pages 7-43.
    17. Dixon, Keith, 2009. "Calculative practices in higher education: a retrospective analysis of curricular accounting about learning," MPRA Paper 18295, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    18. Diab, Ahmed A., 2021. "The appearance of community logics in management accounting and control: Evidence from an Egyptian sugar beet village," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    19. Maroun, Warren & Solomon, Jill, 2014. "Whistle-blowing by external auditors: Seeking legitimacy for the South African Audit Profession?," Accounting forum, Elsevier, vol. 38(2), pages 109-121.
    20. Barrett, Michael & Cooper, David J. & Jamal, Karim, 2005. "Globalization and the coordinating of work in multinational audits," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 1-24, January.

    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:eme:aaajpp:v:23:y:2010:i:3:p:373-391. 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: Emerald Support (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    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.