The Sociopolitical Paradigm in Financial Accounting Research

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a soundly based epistemological underpinning for the kind of theorisation in which many classical financial accounting researchers engaged and thus to support a renewal of this programme. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws on pragmatist philosophy and, in particular, on Jules Coleman’s theory of “explanation by embodiment”. The applicability of this theory to the world of financial reporting is discussed. Various theorists and schools within classical accounting theory are examined from the perspective of Coleman’s ideas, focusing particularly on A.C. Littleton’s Structure of Accounting Theory. Findings – The paper finds that classical accounting research works such as Structure of Accounting Theory can be interpreted as the search for Colemanian explanation by embodiment and that this provides them with a soundly based pragmatist underpinning for their theorisation. Research limitations/implications – This paper supports the resumption by academics, qua academics, of work to contribute to accounting standard-setting by offering argumentation that addresses accounting principles and methods directly, rather than only via the social scientific investigation of behaviour in the accounting arena. Practical implications – Such a resumption would contribute positively to future standard-setting. Originality/value – This paper contributes to the defence of classical financial accounting research from the charge of lacking theoretical rigour.

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The Use of Partial Least Squares Path Modeling in Causal Inference for Archival Financial Accounting Research

Jurnal Teknologi ◽

10.11113/jt.v68.2930 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 68 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Chin Fei Goh ◽

Mohamad Bilal Ali ◽

Amran Rasli

Keyword(s):

Causal Inference ◽

Least Squares ◽

Statistical Method ◽

Partial Least Squares ◽

Multivariate Regression ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Financial Accounting ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Path Modeling ◽

Accounting Research

In financial accounting research, multivariate regression is almost exclusively the dominant statistical method. By contrast, Partial Least Squares path modeling is a under-utilized statistical method. The aim of this study is to examine how Partial Least Squares path modeling can be applied to the archival financial accounting research. This article first presents an overview on multivariate regression and structural equation modeling. The authors then highlight that advantages of using Partial Least Squares path modeling to address the research constraints in causal inference for archival financial accounting research.

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THEATRE AND INTOLERANCE IN FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING RESEARCH

Critical Perspectives on Accounting ◽

10.1006/cpac.1997.0196 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 65-88 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

F.L. Clarke ◽

R.J. Craig ◽

J.H. Americ

Keyword(s):

Financial Accounting ◽

Accounting Research

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Characterizing Accounting Research

Accounting Horizons ◽

10.2308/acch.2010.24.4.635 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 24 (4) ◽

pp. 635-670 ◽

Cited By ~ 79

Author(s):

Derek K. Oler ◽

Mitchell J. Oler ◽

Christopher J. Skousen

Keyword(s):

Academic Discipline ◽

Financial Information ◽

Financial Accounting ◽

Accounting Research ◽

Current State ◽

Growing Body ◽

Positive Perspective ◽

Normative Perspective ◽

Over Time

SYNOPSIS: In response to concerns over the viability of the academic discipline of accounting, we investigate trends in accounting research by examining papers published in six top accounting journals from 1960 to 2007. We use citations made by accounting papers as a proxy for their antecedent ideas and examine trends in citations, topics, and methodologies, in aggregate and by journal. Our results suggest that the growing body of accounting research draws increasingly from both finance and economics. Financial accounting topics and archival methodologies are becoming more dominant over time relative to other topics and methodologies, although these trends vary by journal. Though most concerns we discuss are recent, we find that the situation today is the result of trends set in motion decades ago with an explicit decision by influential researchers to move the discipline from a normative perspective to a positive perspective. Given its current state, accounting research may be broadly characterized as research into the effect of economic events on the process of summarizing, analyzing, verifying, and reporting standardized financial information, and on the effects of reported information on economic events.

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