Accounting for Stakeholders and Making Accounting Useful. (6th August 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Andon, Paul; Baxter, Jane; Chua, Wai Fong
• Is Part Of: Journal of management studies. Volume 52:Number 7(2015:Nov.)
• Page Start: 986
• Page End: 1002
• Publication Date: 2015-08-06
• Subjects: Industrial management -- Periodicals; 658
• DOI: 10.1111/joms.12142
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-2380

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title>ABSTRACT</title> <p>A belief in the importance of available and relevant information to managers and stakeholders has propelled significant accounting change, motivating the development of new forms of reporting argued to provide more useful accounting information. However, accounting is not inherently useful. Accounting information is a heterogeneous agglomeration that is <italic>made</italic> useful in practice. We overview research, illustrating the experimental, emotional, imaginative and complementation stratagems that practitioners adopt in making accounting information useful. This research shows that diverse stakeholder interests are mobilised in processes making accounting information useful. The ethical implications of accounting for stakeholders are then considered, particularly the problematic consequences of greater transparency. The critical possibilities of accounting for stakeholders are outlined next. We conclude by arguing that further research problematizing the usefulness of accounting information, including the networks of interests accomplishing this, is vital to advance debate on accounting for stakeholders.</p> </abstract>