DAF01 - Accounting, Accountability and Governance

Supervisors: Dr Anwar Halari and Dr Ruth Dimes (Department of Accounting and Finance, The Open University Business School, Faculty of Business and Law).

Project Description

In the last few decades, and especially in the wake of major financial crises and COVID-19, the concept of accountability has gained significant prominence both within the public and private sectors. Additionally, a growing awareness of climate change, social inequality and corporate responsibility means that investors, regulators, and other stakeholders are demanding more transparency and disclosure from organisations over their social, environmental, and economic impacts and see it as a panacea for most ills that confront society. As a result, organisations have had to revise their missions and adapt their ways of operation to be in line with the communities in which they operate. Corporations are expected to explain, justify and take responsibility for their actions. Accounting and accountability practices are deeply involved in this process, for instance, by identifying, measuring, and reporting the social, environmental, and economic impacts and the overall sustainability implications of the organisation.

Interestingly, however, even though there has been a significant increase in reporting, sustainable investing and changes in regulations internationally, global challenges, such as climate change, social inequality and environmental damage persist. This suggests that more rigorous academic research is urgently needed to fully understand the complexities and limitations of contemporary accountability practices in addressing the environmental, social and economic challenges. In this context, the research may relate to one or several of a range of different topics and contexts, including but not limited to, for instance:

Whether and how accountability practices foster more sustainable behaviour within organisations.
How the information needed for accountability is generated and how advances in technology (including AI) may influence this process.
Relationship between AI implementation and accountability practices.
Individual-level accountability and its impact on the functioning of organisations.
Modern conceptions of accountability and its processes, structures, limits and mechanisms.
How organisations integrate accountability requirements into their performance management systems (PMS).
What structural, institutional, or relational factors contribute to the prevalence of power imbalances that undermine accountability.
The role of society, media and other stakeholders in demanding accountability.
The challenges of enforcing accountability across complex supply chains.
Broader implications of micro-accountability practices.

We envisage the scope of the research project to be flexible according to the interests and background of the PhD candidate. The supervisory team is open to both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies.

Expectation

The researcher is expected to develop specific research questions within this area and, in addition to writing the thesis, gradually develop three working papers over the period of three years that are publishable in internationally recognised academic journals.

It is hoped that the prospective candidate will demonstrate an interest in developing both a theoretical/conceptual and empirical contribution within this field.

Applicant Specification

The candidate must express a keen interest in sustainability accounting research. Prior knowledge and experience in either qualitative and quantitative research methodologies is required, such as a past undergraduate or postgraduate dissertation.

About the Supervisors

Ruth’s research interests are in the area of non-financial and integrated reporting. She is particularly interested in whether and how external reporting impacts management behaviour. She is also interested in the use of text analysis techniques in research. Her current research is on Integrated Reporting and Integrated Thinking, and she is also researching the potential impact of AI on sustainability reporting.

Anwar’s research is interdisciplinary and centres on the themes of accountability, sustainability, governance issues and environmental accounting. He is investigating the role of accountants in the move towards sustainability, with a particular emphasis on accountants’ attitudes towards sustainability, identity group norms and professional and societal norms. He is also exploring how accountabilities are enacted within governance structures in religious organisations with a particular focus on everyday practices of accountability. His recent work was published in Qualitative Research in Accounting and Management where he explored accountants’ perspectives of their engagement in the circular economy. Anwar also wrote a piece on what COVID-19 means for universities’ sustainability plans.

Key Reading

Agyemang, G., (2024). Let’s have a relook at accountability. The British Accounting Review, 56(1), p.101262.

Ahrens, T., (1996). Styles of accountability. Accounting, Organizations and Society, 21(2-3), pp.139-173.

Alawattage, C., Graham, C. and Wickramasinghe, D., (2019). Microaccountability and biopolitics: Microfinance in a Sri Lankan village. Accounting, Organizations and Society, 72, pp.38-60.

Arnaboldi, M., Busco, C. and Cuganesan, S., (2017). Accounting, accountability, social media and big data: revolution or hype? Accounting, auditing & accountability journal, 30(4), pp.762-776.

Bovens, M., (2007). Analysing and assessing accountability: A conceptual framework 1. European law journal, 13(4), pp.447-468.

Ebrahim, A., (2003). Accountability in practice: Mechanisms for NGOs. World development, 31(5), pp.813-829.

Gray, R., (2006). Does sustainability reporting improve corporate behaviour?: Wrong question? Right time? Accounting and Business Research, 36 (1), pp. 65-88.

Messner, M., (2009). The limits of accountability. Accounting, Organizations and Society, 34(8), pp.918-938.

Rached, D.H., (2016). The concept (s) of accountability: form in search of substance. Leiden Journal of International Law, 29(2), pp.317-342.

Roberts, J., (1991). The possibilities of accountability. Accounting, organizations and society, 16(4), pp.355-368.

Rubenstein, J., (2007). Accountability in an unequal world. The Journal of Politics, 69(3), pp.616-632.

Shenkin, M. and Coulson, A.B., (2007). Accountability through activism: learning from Bourdieu. Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, 20(2), pp.297-317.

Sinclair, A., (1995). The chameleon of accountability: Forms and discourses. Accounting, organizations and Society, 20(2-3), pp.219-237.

Tregidga, H., Milne, M. and Kearins, K., (2014). (Re) presenting ‘sustainable organizations’. Accounting, Organizations and Society, 39(6), pp.477-494.

Unerman, J. and O’Dwyer, B., (2006). Theorising accountability for NGO advocacy. Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, 19(3), pp.349-376.