Field Research: A Foundation for Developing New Theories in Management Accounting

The above quote, which recently appeared in the Management Accounting newsletter, characterises the state of affairs for the profession. Presently, academic research and instruction have made very few contributions to the body of knowledge for management accounting. To date, a definitive explanation or theory supporting management accounting does not exist. Practitioners view the field as a multidimensional discipline which integrates managerial, financial, social, and political skills. However, academics generally focus only on the financial skills of management accountants. This is evident in the many behavioural studies that address budgeting or decision making topics rather than a broader set of characteristics.