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Social/Critical/Emancipatory Accounting Research: Its Failure and Prospects for Redemption

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Accounting, Accountability and Society

Part of the book series: CSR, Sustainability, Ethics & Governance ((CSEG))

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Abstract

Social, critical, and emancipatory accounting research has been around for a half a century under its various labels. Yet, while it may have achieved some minor victories in its quest for “social justice” and concern for “environmental degradation”, after 50 years it has failed to achieve its ultimate objective—to ultimately change existing social relations, move toward a more equitable social order, and participate in an actual transformation of the system by reforming financial statements by incorporating non-GAAP social costs and benefits into financial statements. The purpose of this paper is first to identify the reasons for the failure of social, critical, and emancipatory accounting research to achieve its ultimate objective. This paper makes a critical analysis of the target of critical accounting research, the field of battle in which it has chosen to engage the target, and the methods it has chosen with which to confront its target. Second, this paper explains what is necessary for SCE accounting research to make progress toward achieving its ultimate objective in order to refocus its energies into research more germane to achieving its ultimate objective and thereby redeem itself from languishing in a state of irrelevancy.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    For those who may be interested in an historical analyses of SCE accounting research see, e.g., Gray et al. (1997, 2009), Mathews (1997), and Owen (2007).

  2. 2.

    In this context GAAP is used here to refer not only to rules-based accounting standards but also to principles-based accounting standards.

  3. 3.

    Gallhofer and Haslam (2018) suggest that the ultimate objective of emancipatory accounting is no longer a “grand transformation.” If this is true, which is questionable, it is an acknowledgment of defeat, a surrender to the capitalist forces which it opposes, and tantamount to an admission of failure.

  4. 4.

    By profession, it is assumed that licensed certified or chartered public accountants constitute the accounting profession.

  5. 5.

    The profession is certainly not without fault. It is laden with its own set of problems part of which is that the profession is responsible for interpreting accounting standards. However, the problems of the accounting profession are beyond the scope of this paper.

  6. 6.

    I could not find any reference to Islamic principles used in SCE accounting research.

  7. 7.

    Subject to oversight by the SEC.

  8. 8.

    The FASB does not have the authority to impose disclosure requirements for items that are not directly related to financial statements. Thus, for example, while the FASB can impose a requirement that corporations that issue publicly traded securities must disclose contingent liabilities, since contingent liabilities directly affect financial statements, it cannot require corporations to disclose transactions in conflict minerals or investments in South Africa.

  9. 9.

    https://www.accountingfoundation.org/jsp/Foundation/Page/FAFLandingPage&cid=1176164681018.

  10. 10.

    https://www.fasb.org/facts/index.shtml. There is on vacancy as of this writing.

  11. 11.

    https://www.fasb.org/facts/index.shtml.

  12. 12.

    https://www.fasb.org/facts/index.shtml.

  13. 13.

    https://www.fasb.org/facts/index.shtml.

  14. 14.

    While there are critical accounting researchers, whether there are actually critical accountants is debatable.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Barry University School of Business, Miami, FL, USA

    Wm. Dennis Huber

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  1. Wm. Dennis Huber
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Economics, Society and Politics, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Urbino, Italy

    Mara Del Baldo

  2. School of Accounting and Commercial Law, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand

    Jesse Dillard

  3. Department of Management, University of Bologna, Rimini, Italy

    Maria-Gabriella Baldarelli

  4. Department of Economics, Society and Politics, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Urbino, Italy

    Massimo Ciambotti

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Huber, W.D. (2020). Social/Critical/Emancipatory Accounting Research: Its Failure and Prospects for Redemption. In: Del Baldo, M., Dillard, J., Baldarelli, MG., Ciambotti, M. (eds) Accounting, Accountability and Society. CSR, Sustainability, Ethics & Governance. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-41142-8_9

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