IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/jbuset/v112y2013i3p481-495.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Timing in Accountability and Trust Relationships

Author

Listed:
  • Salvador Carmona
  • Rafael Donoso
  • Philip Reckers

Abstract

In this study we examine (1) how a manager’s risk behavior is influenced by developing success (or failure) as an impending settling up deadline to report performance approaches, (2) how willingness to provide transparent accountability is negatively affected by perceived risk and eroding trust, and (3) how others interpret and respond to reduced transparency. As perceptions of high levels of risks suggest a lack of environmental control of a firm’s destiny in contemporary settings, we adopt a historical approach to examine these issues. In this respect we draw on primary sources found in library archives in Spain and Argentina. Our focal case refers to the contract signed and executed between the South Sea Company and Captain José de Salinas (1731–1735) to walk 408 Negroes from Buenos Aires to Potosí and sell them en route or at destination. Drawing on this evidence, we examine how bring about unethical conduct featured by increasingly risky business practices, and how eroding trust conditions lead to only summary record-keeping and delayed reporting. In turn, diminished accountability further undermined trust. Our findings have implications for further research in this area as well as for contemporary cases of accounting failures. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2013

Suggested Citation

  • Salvador Carmona & Rafael Donoso & Philip Reckers, 2013. "Timing in Accountability and Trust Relationships," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 112(3), pages 481-495, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:112:y:2013:i:3:p:481-495
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-012-1273-y
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1007/s10551-012-1273-y
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10551-012-1273-y?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. Timothy Fogarty & Michel Magnan & Garen Markarian & Serge Bohdjalian, 2009. "Inside Agency: The Rise and Fall of Nortel," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 84(2), pages 165-187, January.
    2. Catherine Gowthorpe & Oriol Amat, 2004. "Creative accounting: Some ethical issues of macro- and micro-manipulation," Economics Working Papers 748, Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra.
    3. Peter Temin & Hans-Joachim Voth, 2004. "Riding the South Sea Bubble," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 94(5), pages 1654-1668, December.
    4. Tomkins, Cyril, 2001. "Interdependencies, trust and information in relationships, alliances and networks," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 26(2), pages 161-191, March.
    5. Gaa, James, 2004. "Introduction: Special Issue on Accounting Ethics," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 14(3), pages 349-354, July.
    6. Sandro Castaldo & Katia Premazzi & Fabrizio Zerbini, 2010. "The Meaning(s) of Trust. A Content Analysis on the Diverse Conceptualizations of Trust in Scholarly Research on Business Relationships," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 96(4), pages 657-668, November.
    7. Kaplan, Robert S., 1986. "The role for empirical research in management accounting," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 11(4-5), pages 429-452, July.
    8. Salvador Carmona & Mahmoud Ezzamel, 2007. "Accounting and accountability in ancient civilizations: Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing, vol. 20(1), pages 177-209, January.
    9. James Gaa, 2009. "Corporate Governance and the Responsibility of the Board of Directors for Strategic Financial Reporting," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 90(2), pages 179-197, November.
    10. Carmona, Salvador & Ezzamel, Mahmoud & Gutierrez, Fernando, 1997. "Control and cost accounting practices in the Spanish Royal Tobacco Factory," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 22(5), pages 411-446, July.
    11. Salvador Carmona & Mahmoud Ezzamel, 2007. "Accounting and accountability in ancient civilizations: Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 20(2), pages 177-209, April.
    12. David W. Lehman & Jungpil Hahn & Rangaraj Ramanujam & Bradley J. Alge, 2011. "The Dynamics of the Performance--Risk Relationship Within a Performance Period: The Moderating Role of Deadline Proximity," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 22(6), pages 1613-1630, December.
    13. 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.
    14. Michael C. Jensen, 2005. "Agency Costs of Overvalued Equity," Financial Management, Financial Management Association, vol. 34(1), Spring.
    15. Merchant, Kenneth A. & Rockness, Joanne, 1994. "The ethics of managing earnings: An empirical investigation," Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, Elsevier, vol. 13(1), pages 79-94.
    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. Salvador Carmona & Mahmoud Ezzamel & Claudia Mogotocoro, 2018. "Gender, Management Styles, and Forms of Capital," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 153(2), pages 357-373, December.
    2. Hervé Laroche & Véronique Steyer & Christelle Théron, 2019. "How Could You be so Gullible? Scams and Over-Trust in Organizations," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 160(3), pages 641-656, December.
    3. Alexander Buhmann & Johannes Paßmann & Christian Fieseler, 2020. "Managing Algorithmic Accountability: Balancing Reputational Concerns, Engagement Strategies, and the Potential of Rational Discourse," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 163(2), pages 265-280, May.

    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. Krista Fiolleau & Steven E. Kaplan, 2017. "Recognizing Ethical Issues: An Examination of Practicing Industry Accountants and Accounting Students," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 142(2), pages 259-276, May.
    2. Michal Hora, 2008. "Economic Records Antiquity States [Hospodářské záznamy starověkých států]," Český finanční a účetní časopis, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2008(2), pages 47-53.
    3. Vijaya Murthy & Jim Rooney, 2018. "The Role of Management Accounting in Ancient India: Evidence from the Arthasastra," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 152(2), pages 323-341, October.
    4. Ingrid Jeacle, 2009. "“Going to the movies”: accounting and twentieth century cinema," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 22(5), pages 677-708, June.
    5. Begoña Giner & Francisca Pardo, 2015. "How Ethical are Managers’ Goodwill Impairment Decisions in Spanish-Listed Firms?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 132(1), pages 21-40, November.
    6. Andrew, Jane & Cortese, Corinne, 2011. "Accounting for climate change and the self-regulation of carbon disclosures," Accounting forum, Elsevier, vol. 35(3), pages 130-138.
    7. Christos Tsatsis, 2020. "Lessons From The Evolution Of The Accounting Tool: From The Genesis Up To The Roman Period," Working Papers CEB 20-010, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    8. Agndal, Henrik & Nilsson, Ulf, 2008. "Supply chain decision-making supported by an open books policy," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 116(1), pages 154-167, November.
    9. Pinghsun Huang & Timothy Louwers & Jacquelyn Moffitt & Yan Zhang, 2008. "Ethical Management, Corporate Governance, and Abnormal Accruals," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 83(3), pages 469-487, December.
    10. Stephen P. Walker, 2008. "Innovation, convergence and argument without end in accounting history," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 21(2), pages 296-322, February.
    11. Basu, Sudipta & Kirk, Marcus & Waymire, Greg, 2009. "Memory, transaction records, and The Wealth of Nations," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 34(8), pages 895-917, November.
    12. Dr. Mohammad Hossein & Vadiei Nowghabi & Saleh Anbarani, 2012. "Survey Effect Of Gender And Field Of Study On Students' Judegment Of The Morality Of Earnings Management," Far East Journal of Marketing and Management, Far East Research Centre, vol. 2(2), pages 12-26, April.
    13. DEGEORGE, François & DING, Yuan & JEANJEAN, Thomas & STOLOWY, Hervé, 2005. "Does Analyst Following Curb Earnings Management?," HEC Research Papers Series 810, HEC Paris.
    14. Fu, Fangjian & Lin, Leming & Officer, Micah S., 2013. "Acquisitions driven by stock overvaluation: Are they good deals?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 109(1), pages 24-39.
    15. Kurt T. Dirks & Patrick J. Sweeney & Nikolaos Dimotakis & Todd Woodruff, 2022. "Understanding the Change and Development of Trust and the Implications for New Leaders," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 180(2), pages 711-730, October.
    16. Balaciu Diana Elisabeta & Vladu Alina Beattrice, 2010. "Creative Accounting - Players And Their Gains And Loses," Annals of Faculty of Economics, University of Oradea, Faculty of Economics, vol. 1(2), pages 813-819, December.
    17. Thyssen, Jesper & Israelsen, Poul & Jorgensen, Brian, 2006. "Activity-based costing as a method for assessing the economics of modularization--A case study and beyond," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 103(1), pages 252-270, September.
    18. Himick, Darlene, 2016. "Actuarialism as biopolitical and disciplinary technique," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 22-44.
    19. Chenhall, Robert H. & Hall, Matthew & Smith, David, 2010. "Social capital and management control systems: A study of a non-government organization," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 35(8), pages 737-756, November.
    20. Jim Andersén, 2023. "Green resource orchestration: A critical appraisal of the use of resource orchestration in environmental management research, and a research agenda for future study," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(8), pages 5506-5520, December.

    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:kap:jbuset:v:112:y:2013:i:3:p:481-495. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    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.