Abundant Publications but Minuscule Impact: The Irrelevance of Academic Accounting Research on Practice and the Profession
Abstract
:1. Introduction
If the content of most accounting journals is considered, there appears to be few authors in accounting who want to apply their academic research skills to practical problems or possibly few outlets for such work. This is regrettable, not least because we seem currently to be rather overwhelmed with practical problems in accounting. Academic accountants working in universities are acutely aware of the criticism levelled at our discipline by the scholars of more traditional subjects, that some of our work lacks a theoretical basis. In some cases this is undoubtedly true, however, if we concentrate our efforts solely on the theoretical and the abstract, we are highly unlikely to write anything that is going to change the world and the accounting and audit world currently appears to be in desperate need of change.
2. State of Accounting Research: Voices of Concern
2.1. High Profile Academics
2.2. Senior Accounting Researchers
2.3. Editors, Journals and Publishers
Hardly a day goes by when an article or viewpoint is not brought to our attention that highlights the need to review how research can be more effectively connected to real-world activity and policy setting. This debate has not emerged as a result of the current economic crisis, but it has certainly been brought into sharper focus by it. We are challenged to consider the role of research in contributing to the failures in our financial systems and leadership or, at the very least, in its inability to direct business, economies and societies away from it. So the question remains do we batten down the hatches and hope this particular squall passes over head so that we can return to the processes and systems that we know, or should we use this as an opportunity to find a better solution to an age-old and, unfortunately, increasing problem of disconnection between the world of research and scholarship and the world of practice and policy formation?[45] (p. 118)
2.4. Business, Governments and Professional Accounting Bodies
2.5. Accounting Regulatory Institutions
3. Factors Affecting Accounting Research
3.1. Research Practice Gap
3.2. Usefulness of Accounting Research
3.3. Practical Relevance Versus Academic Rigor
3.4. Universities Incentive Structure
3.5. Public Funding for Research
3.6. Changing Social/Political Environment
3.7. Summary of Reviewed Literature
4. Methodology
4.1. Research Questions and Hypotheses
- RQ 1
- Is the statement ‘that research in academic journals is not utilised by practitioners in professions such as accounting, engineering and medicine’ true?
- H1.1
- The accounting profession does not utilise academic research journals as a source of information on a regular basis (daily/weekly)
- H1.2
- The engineering profession does not utilise academic research journals as a source of information on a regular basis (daily/weekly)
- H1.3
- The medical profession does not utilise academic research journals as a source of information on a regular basis (daily/weekly)
- RQ 2
- Is the statement ‘there is no difference between professions with respect to reading, using and needing academic material’ true?
- H2.1
- As professions, accountants and engineers do not read academic articles
- H2.2
- As professions, accountants and engineers do not use academic findings
- H2.3
- As professions, accountants and engineers do not see a future role for academia
- H2.4
- As professions, accountants and medical practitioners do not read academic articles
- H2.5
- As professions, accountants and medical practitioners do not use academic findings
- H2.6
- As professions, accountants and medical practitioners do not see a future role for academia
- RQ 3
- With respect to understanding and interest in academic articles, how does the accounting profession compare with the other professions?
- RQ 4
- From the perspective of accounting practitioners, what key factors were identified for academia to better meet the needs of the profession?
4.2. Dependent and Independent Variables
4.3. Survey Design
5. Results
5.1. Accountants’ Utilization of Academic Research Journals
5.1.1. Descriptive Analyses
5.1.2. Logistic Regression Analyses
5.2. Comparison between Professions Regards Reading, Using and Future Need for Academic Material
5.2.1. Descriptive Analyses
5.2.2. Logistic Regression Analyses
5.3. Comparison of Understanding and Interest in Academic Research Articles
- ‘The role of budgets in organizations facing strategic change: An exploratory study’
- ‘Determinants of tax evasion: A cross-country investigation’
- ‘Audit committee, board of director characteristics, and earnings management’
- ‘The role of actor-networks and boundary objects in management accounting change: A field study of an implementation of activity-based costing’
- ‘Management accounting systems, perceived environmental uncertainty and organization structure: An empirical investigation’
- ‘Empirical tax research in accounting’
5.4. Identified Factors Academia Could Better Meet the Needs of Practitioners and the Accounting Profession
- Complying with ASIC’s ‘one size fits all’ rules for all types of companies is not logical
- Micro and small businesses need to comply with same accounting/audit rules as large and multinational firms
- Accounting Standards need to be simplified
- Research needs to be relevant to accountants, not just academics
- Research articles need to be written in commonly used English
- Academic research should explain how theory relates/improves accounting practice
- Academics need to build stronger research links with ASIC and professional accounting bodies
- Academics need to talk to practitioners to better understand contemporary issues
- Invite practitioners to participate in research
- Provide summaries of university research in professional accounting magazines
- Develop information mechanism that utilize digital and social media networks
- Academic research should be accessed free and electronically
There is too much ‘research’ just for the sake of research—to keep academics employed. Changes happen, and then 5 years later, they change back to what they were (e.g., balance sheet becoming ‘Statement of Financial Position’, then changing back again). Academics are totally out of touch with what the people that use the information want. Forget about accountants—what do the public want? After all, they should be the main users of the accountants’ output—not other accountants.
Maybe academic research could be used to point out the absurdities of some of the current laws and the complex web that these laws create. It is ridiculous that we have a tax and legal system where the standard answer to a client’s question is ‘there’s no simple answer’.
Distinguish the relevance between large corporate accounting matters/policies/guidelines and small business accounting. Same for auditing—there should be classes of auditors to allow more lenient qualifications/experience for small audits vs. audits of large firms. At the moment, it is a one size fits all for registered company auditors.
Make sure it is practical. I understand the need for theoretical research. Good research solves problems, great research prevents problems. This survey is a great start. Start engaging practitioners; faculties should have coffee catch ups on research and curricular. I am tired of training grads on basic stuff that university courses say they cover and we have to pay high salaries for pieces of paper that do not deliver. Get practitioners involved in guest lecturing and listen to their comments to students. Students will respect the research and will better assist in development. Research is sometimes viewed as a self-interested pursuit. Researchers can get lost in their bubble. The idea is to solve real problems. It is more important to ask the right questions than get the right answer first. I think that the way in which research topic titles present themselves is often esoteric and uninspiring. You do not want to read any further because it does not sound like any practical solutions will come out of a paper. It is more of a debate which is important, but it needs to be more practical in its conclusions. If accounting research does not inspire owners/boards for change, then it is a waste of time. You cannot regulate change; self-regulation works better if the change that is required to generate this momentum is clear.
Get into publications we read—I could not even name an academic referred journal for accounting. Get over the precious formatting of scientific journals and write for your users. People who are interested in your scientific/statistical methodology (who are generally only other academics) will look it up; those of us trying to put things into practice couldn’t care less about the sample size, just effective outcomes. Stop repeating and duplicating meaningless research, find out what we need to know in the real world BEFORE starting your research.
Maybe they are asking other parts of the firm, but I have never been asked for my input or thoughts on a piece of academic research.
Better access through web-based materials and newsletters. We don’t know what is being researched.
The research team needs to include someone who is a current real-world practitioner in the field being researched.
It needs to be more practical and less theoretical. Moreover, stop creating new catch cries, keep the language simple.Sorry, but academic research is often too far removed from reality to be of value to anyone.
6. Discussion
6.1. Summary of Results
6.2. Practical Implications
6.3. Study Limitations
7. Conclusions
- If the world asked medical and engineering researchers to highlight research, which had advanced mankind over the past 50 years, a likely outcome would be a large list of achievements. If the world asked accounting researchers the same question, how many achievements would be listed?
- Medical and engineering research is routinely used in the education of their undergraduate and postgraduate students. How many of the 1000s of accounting articles published each year are useful in the education of accounting students?
- Key stakeholders such as the US and international regulatory and standard setting authorities have for several decades pleaded with academia to assist them with research, even offering data and funding, but all cries for help have been ignored by accounting researchers. How and why has this situation been allowed to occur over such a long period of time?
- Accounting editors and publishers, such as Rhoda Brown, a senior accounting academic, and Rebecca Marsh, a major Publishing Director of accounting material, argue that academic accounting researchers have abandon the profession they seek to research and write about. What is it indicating if editors and publishers of accounting are openly critical of academia?
- It is argued that the elite academic accounting community spend their time engaging in useless paradigm wars, building ‘boy’s clubs’ for so-called elite American accounting journals, and producing thousands of research articles which have no value or relevance to the accounting profession, accounting practitioners, and the world as a whole. Is this a true assessment of academia, especially at the elite end of accounting research?
- If a minister from any government, whose ministerial portfolio was linked to either finance, higher education, or science, research and innovation, decided to stop funding academic accounting research, would such a decision be justified? The reaction from researchers and accounting faculties of such a decision would likely be negative, but would that reaction be justified?
- In 2008, the world witnessed the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), a meltdown of the world’s financial, accounting, and auditing systems. Why did thousands of highly paid accounting professors around the globe not have a single clue on what was going on? More pointedly, how could the American academic accounting elites, who were at the epicenter of the crisis, be totally oblivious to the unfolding massive human and social disaster? How is it, after more than a decade on from the crisis, there are those who argue that nothing has changed in the US, and an identical event could occur all over again?
- It is clear to many that research being produce in accounting faculties is predominately published to enhance university and academic status, with very little thought being given to the usefulness and relevance of the research to the profession, practitioners and society. In an applied field like accounting, is this a sustainable model?
- This paper is filled with criticism from those who are on the inside of the accounting profession. It is likely that no other academic discipline generates the level of criticism from within. Why does accounting attracts so much criticism from within its own ranks, and why are so many high-profile insiders critical of the current state of academic accounting research?
- Finally, after decades of debate about the usefulness of academic accounting research, should public money continue to be used to fund research in accounting faculties?
Author Contributions
Funding
Conflicts of Interest
References
- Abdel-Khalik, A.R.; Keller, T.F. The Impact of Accounting Research on Practice and Disclosure; Duke University Press: Durham, NC, USA, 1978. [Google Scholar]
- Inanga, E.L.; Schneider, W.B. The Failure of Accounting Research to Improve Accounting Practice: A Problem of Theory and Lack of Communication. Crit. Perspect. Account. 2005, 16, 227–248. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Williams, P.F.; Jenkins, J.G.; Ingraham, L. The Winnowing Away of Behavioral Accounting Research in the US: The Process for Anointing Academic Elites. Account. Organ. Soc. 2006, 31, 783–818. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Barth, M.E. Financial Accounting Research, Practice, and Financial Accountability. Abacus 2015, 51, 499–510. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Ewert, R.; Wagenhofer, A. Using Academic Research for the Post-Implementation Review of Accounting Standards: A Note. Abacus 2012, 48, 278–291. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Fraser, K.; Deng, X.; Bruno, F.; Rashid, T.A. Should Academic Research Be Relevant and Useful to Practitioners? The Contrasting Difference between Three Applied Disciplines. Stud. High. Educ. 2020, 45, 129–144. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Malmi, T.; Granlund, M. In Search of Management Accounting Theory. Eur. Account. Rev. 2009, 18, 597–620. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Palea, V. Whither Accounting Research? A European View. Crit. Perspect. Account. 2017, 42, 59–73. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Tucker, B.; Lowe, A. Practitioners Are from Mars; Academics Are from Venus? Account. Audit. Account. J. 2014, 27, 394–425. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Ghoshal, S. Bad Management Theories Are Destroying Good Management Practices. Acad. Manag. Learn. Educ. 2005, 4, 75–91. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Markides, C. In Search of Ambidextrous Professors. Acad. Manag. J. 2007, 50, 762–768. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Brown, R. Revisiting the Expectations Gaps after 15 Years. J. Appl. Account. Res. 2009, 10, 92–95. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Brooks, C.; Fenton, E.; Schopohl, L.; Walker, J. Why Does Research in Finance Have so Little Impact? Crit. Perspect. Account. 2019, 58, 24–52. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Geuna, A.; Martin, B.R. University Research Evaluation and Funding: An International Comparison. Minerva 2003, 41, 277–304. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Hicks, D. Performance-Based University Research Funding Systems. Res. Policy 2012, 41, 251–261. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Lewis, J.M. Research Productivity and Research System Attitudes. Public Money Manag. 2014, 34, 417–424. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Muscio, A.; Quaglione, D.; Vallanti, G. Does Government Funding Complement or Substitute Private Research Funding to Universities? Res. Policy 2013, 42, 63–75. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Fraser, K.; Tseng, B.; Deng, X. The Ongoing Education of Engineering Practitioners: How Do They Perceive the Usefulness of Academic Research? Eur. J. Eng. Educ. 2018, 43, 860–878. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Baldvinsdottir, G.; Mitchell, F.; Norreklit, H. Issues in the Relationship between Theory and Practice in Management Accounting. Manag. Account. Res. 2010, 21, 79–82. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Lindsay, R.M. We Must Overcome the Controversial Relationship between Management Accounting Research and Practice. Pac. Account. Rev. 2012, 24, 357–375. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Mattessich, R. Critique of Accounting: Examination of the Foundations and Normative Structure of an Applied Discipline; Quorum Books: Westport, CT, USA, 1995. [Google Scholar]
- McCarthy, W.E. Accounting Craftspeople versus Accounting Seers: Exploring the Relevance and Innovation Gaps in Academic Accounting Research. Account. Horiz. 2012, 26, 833–843. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Merchant, K.A. Making Management Accounting Research More Useful. Pac. Account. Rev. 2012, 24, 334–356. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Fraser, K.E. Defeating the ‘Paradigm Wars’ in Accounting: A Mixed Methods Approach Is Needed in the Education of PhD Scholars. Int. J. Mult. Res. Approaches 2014, 8, 49–62. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Krauss, S. Research Paradigms and Meaning Making: A Primer. Qual. Rep. 2005, 10, 758–770. [Google Scholar]
- Baker, C.; Bettner, M. Interpretive and Critical Research in Accounting: A Commentary on Its Absence from Mainstream Accounting Research. Crit. Perspect. Account. 1997, 8, 293–310. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Fendt, J.; Kaminska-Labbe, R.; Sachs, W. Producing and Socializing Relevant Maangement Knowledge: Re-Turn to Pragmatism. Eur. Bus. Rev. 2008, 20, 471–491. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Kelemen, M.; Rumens, N. An Introduction to Critical Management Research; Sage: London, UK, 2008. [Google Scholar]
- Wicks, A.C.; Freeman, R.E. Organization Studies and the New Pragmatism: Positivism, Anti-Positivism, and the Search for Ethics. Organ. Sci. 1998, 9, 123–140. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- May, C.; Finch, T. Implementation, Embedding, and Integration: An Outline of Normalization Process Theory. Sociology 2009, 43, 535–554. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Humphrey, C.; Gendron, Y. What Is Going on? The Sustainability of Accounting Academia. Crit. Perspect. Account. 2015, 26, 47–66. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Blackwell, A. Taking Account of Research Outcomes. Campus Rev. 2011, 7, 3. [Google Scholar]
- Laughlin, R. Accounting Research, Policy and Practice: Worlds Together or Worlds Apart? In Bridging the Gap Between Academic Accounting Research and Professional Practice; ICA: Sydney, Australia, 2011. [Google Scholar]
- Kaplan, R.S. Accounting Scholarship That Advances Professional Knowledge and Practice. Account. Rev. 2011, 86, 367–383. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Hopwood, A.G. Whither Accounting Research? Account. Rev. 2007, 82, 1365–1374. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Hopwood, A.G. The Economic Crisis and Accounting: Implications for the Research Community. Account. Organ. Soc. 2009, 34, 797–802. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Scapens, R.W. Seeking the Relevance of Interpretive Research: A Contribution to the Polyphonic Debate. Crit. Perspect. Account. 2008, 19, 915–919. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Scapens, R.W. How Important Is Practice-Relevant Management Accounting Research? Qual. Res. Account. Manag. 2012, 9. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Granof, M.; Zeff, S.A. Research on Accounting Should Learn from the Past. Chron. High. Educ. 2008, 21, A34. [Google Scholar]
- Jeanjean, T.; Ramirez, C. Back to the Origins of Positive Theories: A Contribution to an Analysis of Paradigm Changes in Accounting Research. Account. Eur. 2009, 6, 107–126. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Walton, P. European Accounting Research—A Comment. Account. Eur. 2008, 5, 1–13. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Arnold, P.J. Global Financial Crisis: The Challenge to Accounting Research. Account. Organ. Soc. 2009, 34, 803–809. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- McDonald, M.; Pitsis, T.; Wearing, M. Let Academics Work in the Real World. High. Educ. Aust. 2011, 15, 29. [Google Scholar]
- van Helden, G.J.; Northcott, D. Examining the Practical Relevance of Public Sector Management Accounting Research. Financ. Account. Manag. 2010, 26, 213–240. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Marsh, R. Measuring the Impact of Research. J. Appl. Account. Res. 2010, 11, 78–79. [Google Scholar]
- Unerman, J.; O’Dwyer, B. The Relevance and Utility of Leading Accounting Research. In Research Report 120; ACCA: London, UK, 2010; ISBN 978-1-85908-467-0. [Google Scholar]
- Tucker, B.; Schaltegger, S. Comparing the Research-Practice Gap in Management Accounting. Account. Audit. Account. J. 2016, 29, 362–400. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Schiller, B. Academia Strives for Relevance. Financ. Times 2011, 25, 13. [Google Scholar]
- Trounson, A.; Hare, J. Call to End ‘Elitist Attitude’. High. Educ. Aust. 2012, 25, 31. [Google Scholar]
- Tapp, A. Why Practitioners Don’t Read Our Articles and What We Should Do about It. Mark. Rev. 2005, 5, 3–12. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Turner, D. Great Expectations: The Social Sciences in Britain. Reg. Mag. 2003, 248, 4–5. [Google Scholar]
- Singleton-Green, B. Public Policy and Accounting Research: What Is to Be Done? Account. Eur. 2015, 12, 171–186. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Singleton-Green, B. The Communication Gap: Why Doesn’t Accounting Research Make a Greater Contribution to Debates on Accounting Policy. Account. Eur. 2010, 7, 129–145. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- OECD. Connecting to Knowledge. In OECD Science, Technology and Industry Scoreboard 2013; OECD Publishing: Paris, France, 2013. [Google Scholar]
- Research Australia. Boosting the Commercial Returns from Research; Research Australia: Sydney, Australia, 2014. [Google Scholar]
- Beresford, D. A Request for More Research to Support Financial Accounting Standard-Setting AAA—Accounting. Behav. Res. Account. 1994, 6, 190–203. [Google Scholar]
- Leisenring, J.J.; Johnson, L.T. Accounting Research: On the Relevance of Research to Practice. Account. Horiz. 1994, 8, 74–79. [Google Scholar]
- Fulbier, R.U.; Hitz, J.M.; Sellhorn, T. Relevance of Academic Research and Researchers’ Role in the IASB’s Financial Reporting Standard Setting. Abacus 2009, 45, 455–492. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Demski, J.S.; Dopuch, N.; Lev, B.; Ronen, J.; Searfoss, G.; Sunder, S. A Statement on the State of Academic Accounting. Statement Res. Dir. Am. Account. Assoc. 1991, 22. unpublished letter. [Google Scholar]
- Aguinis, H.; Cascio, W.F. Narrowing the Science-Practice Divide: A Call to Action. Ind. Psychol. 2008, 46, 27. [Google Scholar]
- Bennis, W.G.; O’Toole, J. How Business Schools Lost Their Way. Harv. Bus. Rev. 2005, 83, 96–104. [Google Scholar]
- Dess, G.G.; Markoczy, L. Rather than Searching for the Silver Bullet, Use Rubber Bullets: A View on the Research—Practice Gap. J. Supply Chain Manag. 2008, 44, 57–62. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Dyckman, T.R.; Zeff, S.A. Accounting Research: Past, Present, and Future. Abacus 2015, 51, 511–524. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Wilkinson, B.R.; Durden, C.H. Inducing Structural Change in Academic Accounting Research. Crit. Perspect. Account. 2015, 26, 23–36. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- McNatt, D.B.; Glassman, M.; Glassman, A. The Great Academic-Practitioner Divide: A Tale of Two Paradigms. In ScholarWorks; Boise State University: Boise, ID, USA, 2010; Volume 15. [Google Scholar]
- Lukka, K. The Roles and Effects of Paradigms in Accounting Research. Manag. Account. Res. 2010, 21, 110–115. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Malmi, T. Reflections on Paradigms in Action in Accounting Research. Manag. Account. Res. 2010, 21, 121–123. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Merchant, K.A. Paradigms in Accounting Research: A View from North America. Manag. Account. Res. 2010, 21, 116–120. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Tucker, B.; Parker, L. In Our Ivory Towers? The Research-Practice Gap in Management Accounting. Account. Bus. Res. 2014, 44, 104–143. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Bromwich, M.; Scapens, R. Management Accounting Research: 25 Years On. Manag. Account. Res. 2016, 31, 1–9. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Tushman, M.; O’Reilly, C. Research and Relevance: Implications of Pasteur’s Quadrant for Doctoral Programs and Faculty Development. Acad. Manag. J. 2007, 50, 769–774. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Rutherford, B.A. Accounting Research and Accounting Policy: What Kind of Gap? Account. Eur. 2011, 8, 141–154. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Pettigrew, T.J. Management Research after Modernism. Br. J. Manag. 2001, 12, S61–S70. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Mohrman, S.A.; Lawler, E.E. Useful Research: Advancing Theory and Practice. In Useful Research: Advancing Theory and Practice; Berrett-Koehler: San Francisco, CA, USA, 2011; pp. 9–36. [Google Scholar]
- Fraser, K.; Hvolby, H.-H.; Tseng, B. Maintenance Management Models: A Study of the Published Literature to Identify Empirical Evidence. A Greater Practical Focus Is Needed. Int. J. Qual. Reliab. Manag. 2015, 32, 635–664. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Diamond, M. Accounting Education, Research and Practice: After Enron, Where Do We Go? Eur. Account. Rev. 2005, 14, 353–362. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Karan, R. Implications for Third Party Actions against Auditors of Recently Failed US Companies and Decision-Usefulness Objective under the New York Rule. Crit. Perspect. Account. 2004, 15, 927–941. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Bayou, M.E.; Reinstein, A.; Williams, P.F. To Tell the Truth: A Discussion of Issues Concerning Truth and Ethics in Accounting. Account. Organ. Soc. 2011, 36, 109–124. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Coleman, L. Why Finance Theory Fails to Survive Contact with the Real World: A Fund Manage Perspective. Crit. Perspect. Account. 2014, 25, 226–236. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Lee, T. Shaping the US Academic Accounting Research Profession: The American Accounting Association and the Social Construction of a Professional Elite. Crit. Perspect. Account. 1995, 6, 241–261. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Jones, M.J.; Brinn, T.; Pendlebury, M. Judging the Quality of Research in Business Schools: A Comment from Accounting. Omega 1996, 24, 597–602. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Kaplan, R.S.; Norton, D. Using the Balanced Scorecard as a Strategic Management System. Harv. Bus. Rev. 1996, 74, 75–85. [Google Scholar]
- Cooper, R.; Kaplan, R.S. Activity-Based Systems: Measuring the Costs of Resource Usage. Account. Horiz. 1992, 6, 1–13. [Google Scholar]
- Hope, J.; Fraser, R. Beyond Budgeting: How Managers Can Break Free from the Annual Performance Trap; Harvard Business School Press: Boston, MA, USA, 2003. [Google Scholar]
- Simons, R. Levers of Control: How Managers Use Innovative Controls Systems to Drive Strategic Renewal; Harvard Business School Press: Boston, MA, USA, 1995. [Google Scholar]
- Scott, W.R. Financial Accounting Theory; Peason: Toronto, ON, Canada, 2015. [Google Scholar]
- Hopwood, A.G. An Accounting System and Managerial Behaviour; Saxon: London, UK, 1973. [Google Scholar]
- Merchant, K.A. Rewarding Results: Motivating Profit Center Managers; Harvard Business School Press: Boston, MA, USA, 1989. [Google Scholar]
- Trombetta, M.; Wagenhofer, A.; Wysocki, P. The Usefulness of Academic Research in Understanding the Effects of Accounting Standards. Account. Eur. 2012, 9, 127–146. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Flynn, B.B. Having It All: Rigor versus Relevance in Supply Chain Management Research. J. Supply Chain Manag. 2008, 44, 63–67. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Hodgkinson, G.P.; Rousseau, D.M. Bridging the Rigour-Relevance Gap in Management Research: It’s Already Happening! J. Manag. Stud. 2009, 46, 534–546. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Kieser, A.; Leiner, L. Why the Rigour—Relevance Gap in Management Research Is Unbridgeable. J. Manag. Stud. 2009, 46, 516–533. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Mentzer, J.T. Rigor versus Relevance: Why Would We Choose Only One? J. Supply Chain Manag. 2008, 44, 72–77. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Vermeulen, F. On Rigor and Relevance: Fostering Dialectic Progress in Management Research. Acad. Manag. J. 2005, 48, 978–982. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Fraser, K.E. Is Indonesia Producing Enough Business Graduates to Assist Its Development Aspirations. Ind. High. Educ. 2013, 27, 85–88. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- McKinnon, A.C. Starry-Eyed: Journal Rankings and the Future of Logistics Research. Int. J. Phys. Distrib. Logist. Manag. 2013, 43, 6–17. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Harzing, A.-W. Australian Research Output in Economics and Business: High Volume, Low Impact? Aust. J. Manag. 2005, 30, 183–200. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Jensen, P.; Webster, E. Let’s spend more wisely on research in Australia. Conversation 2014. [Google Scholar]
- Weighley, S.; Hess, A.E.M. Universities Getting the Most Government Money. 24/7 Wall St. 2013. Available online: http://247wallst.com/special-report/2013/04/25/universities-getting-the-most-government-money/ (accessed on 7 November 2014).
- OECD. Performance-Based Funding for Public Research in Tertiary Education Institutions. In Workshop Proceedings; OECD Publishing: Paris, France, 2010. [Google Scholar]
- Sanz-Menendez, L.; Cruz-Castro, L. Coping with Environmental Pressures: Public Research Organizations Responses to Funding Crisis. Span. Policy Res. Innov. Technol. Train. Educ. 2002, 19, 2–19. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Kealey, T. The Economic Laws of Scientific Research; Macmillan Press: London, UK, 1996. [Google Scholar]
- Salter, A.J.; Martin, B.R. The Economic Benefits of Publicly Funded Basic Research: A Critical Review. Res. Policy 2001, 30, 509–532. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Pavitt, K. Why European Union Funding of Academic Research Should Be Increased: A Radical Proposal. Sci. Public Policy 2000, 27, 455–460. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Narin, F.; Hamilton, K.S.; Olivastro, D. The Increasing Linkage between U.S. Technology and Public Science. Res. Policy 1997, 26, 317–330. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Hawawini, G. The Future of Business Schools. J. Manag. Dev. 2005, 24, 770–782. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Koelman, J.; Venniker, R. Public Funding of Academic Research: The Research Assessment Exercise of the UK. In Higher Education Reforms: Getting the Incentives Righ; UT Publications: Dutch, The Netherlands, 2001. [Google Scholar]
- Trounson, A. Australian Technology Network Looks to Rank Uni Engagement with Business. High. Educ. Aust. 2014, 30, 18. [Google Scholar]
- European Commission. Assessing Europe’s University-Based Research. EUR 24187 EN. In Science in Society 2008; European Commission: Brussels, Belgium, 2010. [Google Scholar]
- Palmer, D. Taking Stock of the Criteria We Use to Evaluate One Another’s Work: ASQ 50 Years Out. Adm. Sci. Q. 2006, 51, 535–559. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Boynton, P.M.; Greenhalgh, T. Selecting, Designing, and Developing Your Questionnaire. Br. Med. J. 2004, 328, 1312–1315. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Hinkin, T.R. A brief tutorial on the development of measures for use in survey questionnaires. Organ. Res. Methods 1998, 1, 104–121. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Tuan, H.-L.; Chin, C.-C.; Shieh, S.-H. The Development of a Questionnaire to Measure Students’ Motivation towards Science Learning. Int. J. Sci. Educ. 2005, 27, 639–654. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Neuman, W.L. Social Research Methods. Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches; Allyn, B., Ed.; Sage: Boston, MA, USA, 2000. [Google Scholar]
- Pallant, J. SPSS Survival Manual; Open University Press: New York, NY, USA, 2005. [Google Scholar]
- Trounson, A. Universities ‘Need to Work on Real-World Issues’. High. Educ. Aust. 2015, 27, 9. [Google Scholar]
Ref | Year | Author | Country | Source | Article Title |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
[13] | 2019 | Brooks et al. | UK | Critical Perspectives on Accounting | Why does research in finance have so little impact? |
[8] | 2017 | Palea | Italy | Critical Perspectives on Accounting | Whither accounting research? A European view |
[70] | 2016 | Bromwich and Scapens | UK | Management Accounting Research | Management Accounting Research: 25 years on |
[47] | 2016 | Tucker and Schaltegger | Australia Germany | Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal | Comparing the research practice gap in management accounting |
[4] | 2015 | Barth | USA | Abacus | Financial accounting research, practice, and financial accountability |
[63] | 2015 | Dyckman and Zeff | USA | Abacus | Accounting research: Past, present, and future |
[31] | 2015 | Humphrey and Gendron | UK; Canada | Critical Perspectives on Accounting | What is going on? The sustainability of accounting academia |
[53] | 2015 | Singleton-Green | UK | Accounting in Europe | Public policy and accounting research: What is to be done? |
[64] | 2015 | Wilkinson and Durden | USA; Australia | Critical Perspectives on Accounting | Inducing structural change in academic accounting research |
[69] | 2014 | Tucker and Parker | Australia | Accounting and Business Research | In our ivory towers? The research practice gap in management accounting |
[79] | 2014 | Coleman | Australia | Critical Perspectives on Accounting | Why finance theory fails to survive contact with the real world: A fund manager perspective |
[24] | 2014 | Fraser | Australia | International Journal of Multiple Research Approaches | Defeating the ‘paradigm wars’ in accounting: a mixed methods approach is needed in the education of PhD scholars |
[9] | 2014 | Tucker and Lowe | Australia; UK | Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal | Practitioners are from Mars; academics are from Venus? An investigation of the research practice gap in management accounting |
[55] | 2014 | Research Australia | Australia | Research Australia | Boosting the commercial returns from research |
[5] | 2012 | Ewert and Wagenhofer | Austria | Abacus | Using academic research for the post-implementation review of accounting standards: A note |
[20] | 2012 | Lindsay | Canada | Pacific Accounting Review | We must overcome the controversial relationship between management accounting research and practice |
[22] | 2012 | McCarthy | USA | Accounting Horizons | Accounting craftspeople versus accounting seers: Exploring the relevance and innovation gaps in academic accounting research |
[23] | 2012 | Merchant | USA | Pacific Accounting Review | Making management accounting research more useful |
[38] | 2012 | Scapens | UK | Qualitative Research in Accounting and Management | How important is practice-relevant management accounting research? |
[49] | 2012 | Trounson and Hare | Australia | The Australian | Call to end ‘elitist attitude’. |
[78] | 2011 | Bayou et al. | USA | Accounting, Organizations and Society | To tell the truth: A discussion of issues concerning truth and ethics in accounting |
[32] | 2011 | Blackwell | Australia | Campus Review | Taking account of research outcomes |
[34] | 2011 | Kaplan | USA | The Accounting Review | Accounting scholarship that advances professional knowledge and practice |
[33] | 2011 | Laughlin | UK | Bridging the Gap between Academic Accounting Research and Professional Practice | Accounting research, policy and practice: Worlds together or worlds apart? |
[43] | 2011 | McDonald et al. | Australia | The Australian | Let academics work in the real world |
[74] | 2011 | Mohrman and Lawler | USA | Useful Research: Advancing Theory and Practice | Research for theory and practice: framing the challenge |
[72] | 2011 | Rutherford | UK | Accounting in Europe | Accounting research and accounting policy: What kind of gap? |
[48] | 2011 | Schiller | UK | Financial Times | Academia strives for relevance |
[19] | 2010 | Baldvinsdottir et al. | Sweden; UK; Denmark | Management Accounting Research | Issues in the relationship between theory and practice in management accounting |
[66] | 2010 | Lukka | Finland | Management Accounting Research | The roles and effects of paradigms in accounting research |
[67] | 2010 | Malmi | Finland | Management Accounting Research | Reflections on paradigms in action in accounting research |
[45] | 2010 | Marsh | UK | Journal of Applied Accounting Research | Measuring the impact of research |
[68] | 2010 | Merchant | USA | Management Accounting Research | Paradigms in accounting research: A view from North America. |
[53] | 2010 | Singleton-Green | UK | Accounting in Europe | The communication gap: Why doesn’t accounting research make a greater contribution to debates on accounting policy |
[46] | 2010 | Unerman and O’Dwyer | UK | The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, Research Report 120 | The relevance and utility of leading accounting research |
[44] | 2010 | van Helden and Northcott | The Netherlands; New Zealand | Financial Accountability and Management | Examining the practical relevance of public sector management accounting research |
[40] | 2009 | Jeanjean and Ramirez | France | Accounting in Europe | Back to the origins of positive theories: A contribution to an analysis of paradigm changes in accounting research |
[42] | 2009 | Arnold | USA | Accounting, Organizations and Society | Global financial crisis: The challenge to accounting research |
[12] | 2009 | Brown | UK | Journal of Applied Accounting Research | Revisiting the expectations gaps after 15 years |
[58] | 2009 | Fulbier et al. | Germany | Abacus | Relevance of academic research and researchers’ role in the IASB’s financial reporting standard setting |
[36] | 2009 | Hopwood | UK | Accounting, Organizations and Society | The economic crisis and accounting: Implications for the research community |
[7] | 2009 | Malmi and Granlund | Finland | European Accounting Review | In search of management accounting theory |
[60] | 2008 | Aguinis and Cascio | USA | The Industrial-Organizational Psychologist | Narrowing the science-practice divide: A call to action |
[62] | 2008 | Dess and Markoczy | USA | Journal of Supply Chain Management | Rather than searching for the silver bullet, use rubber bullets: A view on the research – practice gap |
[39] | 2008 | Granof and Zeff | USA | The Chronicle of Higher Education | Research on accounting should learn from the past |
[37] | 2008 | Scapens | UK | Critical Perspectives on Accounting | Seeking the relevance of interpretive research: A contribution to the polyphonic debate |
[41] | 2008 | Walton | France | Accounting in Europe | European accounting research – A comment |
[35] | 2007 | Hopwood | UK | The Accounting Review | Whither accounting research? |
[11] | 2007 | Markides | UK | Academy of Management Journal | In search of ambidextrous professors |
[71] | 2007 | Tushman and O’Reilly | USA | Academy of Management Journal | Research and relevance: Implications of pasteur’s quadrant for doctoral programs and faculty development |
[3] | 2006 | Williams et al. | USA | Accounting, Organizations and Society | The winnowing away of behavioral accounting research in the US: The process for anointing academic elites |
[61] | 2005 | Bennis and O’Toole | USA | Harvard Business Review | How business schools lost their way |
[76] | 2005 | Diamond | USA | European Accounting Review | Accounting education, research and practice: After Enron, where do we go? |
[10] | 2005 | Ghoshal | UK | Academy of Management Learning and Education | Bad management theories are destroying good management practices |
[97] | 2005 | Harzing | Australia | Australian Journal of Management | Australian research output in economics and business: High volume, low impact? |
[106] | 2005 | Hawawini | France | Journal of Management Development | The future of business schools |
[2] | 2005 | Inanga and Schneider | The Netherlands; USA | Critical Perspectives on Accounting | The failure of accounting research to improve accounting practice: a problem of theory and lack of communication |
[50] | 2005 | Tapp | UK | The Marketing Review | Why practitioners don’t read our articles and what we should do about it |
[77] | 2004 | Karan | Australia | Critical Perspectives on Accounting | Implications for third party actions against auditors of recently failed US companies and decision-usefulness objective under the New York Rule |
[51] | 2003 | Turner | UK | Commission on the Social Sciences | Great expectations: the social sciences in Britain |
[73] | 2001 | Pettigrew | UK | British Journal of Management | Management research after modernism |
[81] | 1996 | Jones et al. | UK | Omega | Judging the quality of research in business schools: a comment from accounting |
[21] | 1995 | Mattessich | Canada | Quorum Books | Critique of Accounting: Examination of the Foundations and Normative structure of an Applied Discipline |
[80] | 1995 | Lee | USA | Critical Perspectives on Accounting | Shaping the US academic accounting research profession: The American accounting association and the social construction of a professional elite |
[56] | 1994 | Beresford | USA | Behavioral Research in Accounting | A request for more research to support financial accounting standard-setting AAA – accounting |
[57] | 1994 | Leisenring and Johnson | USA | Accounting Horizons | Accounting Research: On the Relevance of Research to Practice |
[59] | 1991 | Demski et al. | USA | Statement to the Research Director of the AAA | A statement on the state of academic accounting |
[1] | 1978 | Abdel-khalik and Keller | USA | Duke University Press | The Impact of accounting research on practice and disclosure |
Profession | Returns (n) | Return Rate | Information Source | Female Rate |
---|---|---|---|---|
Accounting | 198 | 14% | CA—61% CPA—39% | 21% |
Engineering | 244 | 17% | Engineers Australia | 5% |
Medicine | 118 | 9% | Yellow Pages | 34% |
Totals | 560 | 14% | – | 17% |
Variable | Accounting (n = 198) | Engineering (n = 244) | Medicine (n = 118) |
---|---|---|---|
Gender | |||
Male | 79% | 95% | 66% |
Female | 21% | 5% | 34% |
Age | |||
<30 | 3% | 4% | 3% |
30–39 | 15% | 19% | 18% |
40–49 | 28% | 18% | 23% |
50–59 | 34% | 27% | 38% |
>59 | 20% | 32% | 18% |
Qualification | |||
Diploma | 5% | 2% | - |
Bachelor | 44% | 48% | 31% |
Masters | 18% | 33% | 10% |
PhD | 0% | 10% | 11% |
Other Post Grad | 33% | 7% | 48% |
Experience (years) | |||
<5 | 2% | 1% | 4% |
5–14 | 13% | 18% | 19% |
15–30 | 50% | 37% | 44% |
>30 | 35% | 44% | 33% |
Firm size (employees) | |||
<5 | 41% | 17% | 24% |
5–20 | 38% | 8% | 43% |
21–50 | 7% | 3% | 33% (>20) |
51–100 | 2% | 9% | |
>100 | 12% | 63% | |
Firm scope | |||
Local | 75% | 21% | |
National | 11% | 30% | N/A |
International | 14% (Big4—10%) | 49% | |
Position in firm | |||
Junior level | 1% | 0% | 72% (Consulting) |
Middle level | 3% | 27% | 22% (Principal) |
Senior level | 96% | 73% | 6% (Sole practice) |
Field of work | |||
5%—Financial | 17%—Mechanical | 50%—General (GP) | |
6%—Management | 13%—Electrical | 50%—Specialist | |
5%—Auditing | 41%—Civil | ||
54%—Tax | 9%—General | ||
19%—General | 20%—Other | ||
11%—Other | |||
Professional membership | |||
38%—Certified Practising Accountants (CPA) | 97%—Engineers Australia (EA) | 44%—Australian Medical Association (AMA) | |
65%—Institute of Chartered Accountants (CA) | 10%—Association of Consulting Engineers Australia (ACEA) | 44%—Royal College of General Practitioners (RACGP) | |
4%—Institute of Public Accountants (IPA) | 1%—Institution of Engineering and Mining Surveyors Australia (IEMSA) | 13%—Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) | |
20%—Other | 34% – Other | 49%—Other | |
1%—None | 4%—None |
Profession | Daily | Weekly | Monthly | Yearly | Never | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NA | A | NA | A | NA | A | NA | A | NA | A | |
Accounting | 20% | 0% | 41% | 4% | 34% | 17% | 3% | 28% | 2% | 51% |
Engineering | 6% | 1% | 45% | 12% | 46% | 43% | 3% | 33% | 0% | 11% |
Medicine | 34% | 14% | 50% | 45% | 16% | 33% | 0% | 5% | 0% | 3% |
Reason | Accounting | Engineering | Medicine |
---|---|---|---|
Content is not related to my work | 45% | 47% | 27% |
Content is written for academics not practitioners | 41% | 41% | 33% |
Do not have access to academic articles | 38% | 44% | 21% |
Content is not interesting | 21% | 18% | 21% |
Journal subscription costs are too high | 12% | 25% | 24% |
Other | 11% | 17% | 52% |
Cannot understand language used in academic articles | 6% | 7% | 9% |
Sources Used on a Regular Basis | Professions | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Accounting | Engineering | Medicine | |||||||
B | Sig. | Exp(B) | B | Sig. | Exp(B) | B | Sig. | Exp(B) | |
Industry Standards (Government bodies) | −0.235 | 0.571 | 0.790 | 0.287 | 0.399 | 1.332 | −1.087 | 0.092 | 0.337 |
Magazines | 1.150 | 0.002 | 3.158 | 1.405 | 0.000 | 4.075 | 0.003 | 0.996 | 1.003 |
Newspapers | −0.354 | 0.364 | 0.702 | 0.462 | 0.192 | 1.587 | 0.353 | 0.543 | 1.423 |
Research journals | −0.148 | 0.851 | 0.863 | 1.322 | 0.028 | 3.751 | 1.293 | 0.013 | 3.643 |
Colleagues | −0.013 | 0.972 | 0.987 | 0.590 | 0.075 | 1.803 | −0.129 | 0.806 | 0.879 |
In-house courses (Drug companies) | −0.247 | 0.506 | 0.781 | 0.104 | 0.799 | 1.109 | −2.147 | 0.007 | 0.117 |
Technical bulletins (Medical bulletins) | 0.566 | 0.119 | 1.761 | 1.435 | 0.000 | 4.200 | 2.526 | 0.000 | 12.498 |
Conferences/workshops | 0.155 | 0.681 | 1.168 | −0.064 | 0.871 | 0.938 | 0.221 | 0.674 | 1.248 |
Professional bodies | 0.422 | 0.272 | 1.524 | 0.064 | 0.862 | 1.067 | −0.312 | 0.570 | 0.732 |
Inquiry | Accounting | Engineering | Medicine |
---|---|---|---|
It is important to keep up with the latest research to do my job | 41% | 75% | 93% |
I have used findings from academic research in my job | 17% | 64% | 90% |
Colleagues and I discuss recent academic research findings | 12% | 48% | 85% |
My organization does not provide me with adequate access to sources of relevant research material | 17% | 19% | 11% |
I believe there are still many unanswered questions to be addressed in my profession | 36% | 88% | 98% |
I believe academic research will play an important role in the future development and improvement of my profession | 22% | 70% | 93% |
Variables | Read Academic Articles (Monthly or More) | Use Academic Findings (Monthly or More) | Future Role of Academia (Agree/Strongly Agree) | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
B | Sig. | Exp(B) | B | Sig. | Exp(B) | B | Sig. | Exp(B) | |
Gender (Male) | −0.245 | 0.421 | 0.783 | 0.357 | 0.291 | 1.429 | 0.234 | 0.483 | 1.264 |
Qualifications (Postgraduate) | 0.781 | 0.000 | 2.184 | 0.717 | 0.001 | 2.048 | 0.474 | 0.030 | 1.607 |
Experience (>30 years) | 0.011 | 0.960 | 1.011 | 0.160 | 0.483 | 1.173 | 0.159 | 0.489 | 1.172 |
Firm/practice size | −0.212 | 0.382 | 0.809 | 0.079 | 0.755 | 1.082 | −0.294 | 0.276 | 0.745 |
Professions | |||||||||
Accounting | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Engineering | 1.430 | 0.000 | 4.180 | 2.080 | 0.000 | 8.006 | 2.232 | 0.000 | 9.317 |
Medicine | 3.138 | 0.000 | 23.050 | 3.717 | 0.000 | 41.158 | 4.018 | 0.000 | 55.575 |
Profession | From the Title I Have a Good Idea of What the Article Is About | I Would Be Interested to Read This Article | Exposure to Academic Articles | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Read Daily/Weekly/Monthly | Never Read | |||
Accounting | 52% | 25% | 21% | 51% |
Engineering | 39% | 24% | 56% | 11% |
Medicine | 81% | 51% | 92% | 3% |
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. |
© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Share and Cite
Fraser, K.; Sheehy, B. Abundant Publications but Minuscule Impact: The Irrelevance of Academic Accounting Research on Practice and the Profession. Publications 2020, 8, 46. https://doi.org/10.3390/publications8040046
Fraser K, Sheehy B. Abundant Publications but Minuscule Impact: The Irrelevance of Academic Accounting Research on Practice and the Profession. Publications. 2020; 8(4):46. https://doi.org/10.3390/publications8040046
Chicago/Turabian StyleFraser, Kym, and Benedict Sheehy. 2020. "Abundant Publications but Minuscule Impact: The Irrelevance of Academic Accounting Research on Practice and the Profession" Publications 8, no. 4: 46. https://doi.org/10.3390/publications8040046