Achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:An enabling role for accounting research

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to establish and advance the role of academic accounting in the pursuit of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are regarded as the most salient point of departure for understanding and achieving environmental and human development ambitions up to (and no doubt beyond) the year 2030. Design/methodology/approach: This paper provides a synthesis of interdisciplinary perspectives on sustainable development and integration of this with the accounting for sustainability literature. In addition, potential accounting research contributions are proposed so as to support the development of new research avenues. Findings: Existing research in accounting that is relevant to individual SDGs serves as an initial link between them and the accounting discipline. At the same time, the SDGs focus highlights new sites for empirical work (including interdisciplinary investigations) as well as inviting innovation in accounting theoretical frameworks. Moreover, the SDGs provide a context for (re)invigorating accounting’s contribution to sustainable development debates. Originality/value: This is the first paper to explore the roles academic accounting can play in furthering achievement of the SDGs through enhanced understanding, critiquing and advancing of accounting policy, practice and theorizing. It is also the first paper to propose a research agenda in this area. © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited

Shifting the focus of sustainability accounting from impacts to risks and dependencies:Researching the transformative potential of TCFD reporting

Purpose This paper problematizes TCFD (Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures) reporting in a way that demonstrates areas where academic research can contribute towards realizing the transformative potential of this unique form of sustainability accounting in its early stages of development. Design/methodology/approach The paper proposes a number of research agendas for impactful interdisciplinary research into new forms of corporate reporting of sustainability risks, opportunities and dependencies. Findings There are several major challenges that both reporting corporations and investors need to address in realizing the potential of TCFD style risks, opportunities and dependencies reporting. Key among these is developing new practices of climate-related scenario analysis and reporting. Practical implications There is potential for many different academic research studies to provide solid evidence in helping improve the practical impact of TCFD style sustainability reporting. These impacts may assist in moving corporate policies and actions towards zero carbon. Originality/value This is the first agenda-setting paper that addresses the need for, and opportunities of, academic research into TCFD reporting and its potential to transform corporate accounting and reporting of sustainability

The nature of knowledge sharing in NGO accounting and accountability processes

This paper presents a case study examining how accounting and accountability processes facilitate the sharing of different forms of knowledge in non-governmental organisation (NGO) contexts. The paper derives its primary insights from in-depth interviews with thirty NGO fieldworkers working and delivering development aid in Northern Ghana, Africa. We demonstrate how fieldworkers value both explicit, codifieable knowledge (referred to as ‘operational knowledge’) and contextualised, tacit knowledge (referred to as ‘situational knowledge’). The sharing of situational knowledge in support of operational knowledge by fieldworkers within NGO-funder accounting and accountability processes is perceived as crucial for optimising the use of development aid. However, despite funder encouragement, fieldworkers refrain from sharing situational knowledge within these processes. This is influenced by the perceived coercive nature of the accounting and accountability processes. These processes offer fieldworkers limited flexibility and create uncertainty by failing to inform them of the consequences arising from sharing operational and situational knowledge. The findings develop prior work highlighting the tensions between global control and local flexibility in NGO-funder accounting and accountability processes. We show how the value attached to different types of knowledge influences how these tensions play out. The findings also challenge prior work suggesting that NGO fieldworkers attach little relevance to operational knowledge required by funders in accounting and accountability reports. Our analysis implies a need to develop more enabling NGO-funder accounting and accountability processes to enhance the effectiveness of development aid assistance. We argue that this will require greater fieldworker involvement in the development of performance measures, more frequent face-to-face funder-fieldworker interaction, and more timely feedback from funders to fieldworkers on how knowledge shared within accounting and accountability processes is used

Celebrating advances in LGBT+ diversity in the accountancy profession:Not letting idealistic purity become the enemy of progress

Purpose: This paper provides a commentary on evidence presented and issues raised in Egan (2018) regarding LGBT+ diversity initiatives in the accountancy profession. Design/methodology/approach: This paper is an invited commentary based on the author’s experiences of LGBT+ and other diversity initiatives in the profession. Findings: There is cause for optimism in how far the profession has progressed in some countries on supporting LGBT+ (and other forms of) diversity. Practical implications: As the multinational accountancy firms can be agents for change in countries where there remains considerable discrimination and hostility to LGBT+ (and other) communities, constructive critique to help further improve the firms’ innovative actions on LGBT+ and other diversity issues could have a major positive impact on social justice. Egan (2018) is an example of such constructive critique. Social implications: Where other academic studies take a disparagingly critical approach they risk both (1) squandering the opportunity to help achieve the progress they espouse and (2) discouraging other firms embracing innovative diversity practices. Originality/value: Provides a counter perspective to some Critical Accounting arguments that appear to value idealism over progress

Advancing research into accounting and the UN sustainable development goals

Purpose – This paper introduces a special section devoted to accounting scholarship that addresses the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and has three purposes. First, we explore the puzzle of a relative absence of accounting related scholarship that address the SDGs. Second, the papers within the special section are introduced and located within streams of existing research and practice. Third, the paper then suggests framings, approaches and/or conditions under which we might see more accounting scholarship in support of advancing the SDGs. Design/methodology/approach – A structured review of publication patterns in accounting journals over the last five years is undertaken to explore the nature and extent of SDG-related accounting research. These patterns and foundational accounting literature are used to shape a series of observations and propositions underlying the line of argument developed in the paper. Findings – Despite the SDGs’ prominence in the policy world, and the widespread embrace of their utility for shaping understandings of organizational responsibilities, accounting scholars have been slow to engage in SDG motivated research. This gap creates two issues. First, accounting scholarship is less available to the web of knowledge that is being developed about how to enact the ambitions of the SDGs. Second, accounting scholarship is not developing in a way that incorporates SDG related challenges facing organizations. This paper suggests ways in which accounting scholarship can overcome these limitations. Originality/value – Accounting research on the SDGs is in an early stage of development, despite almost five years having elapsed since their formal adoption. This paper highlights avenues for accounting scholars’ engagement with the SDG agenda

Fostering rigour in accounting for social sustainability

This paper illuminates how a journal and its editor can initiate and foster a stream of high quality and influential research in a novel area. It does this by analysing Accounting, Organizations and Society's (AOS's) and Anthony Hopwood's nurturing of research into key aspects of accounting for social sustainability for several decades before this research area became established. Our discussion unveils how the initiation of unique research areas may initially involve the publication of risky papers driven primarily by passion. Through the steering of a journal editor, subsequent work can proceed to combine this passion with academic rigour and produce research insights that can benefit society by positively influencing policy and practice. It is this attention to rigour that we argue needs to be central to future research in accounting for social sustainability (and accounting for sustainability more broadly) if it is to continue producing purposeful knowledge. We offer several substantive directions for future research aimed at producing such knowledge. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd

Corporate reporting and accounting for externalities

Externalities comprise economic, social and/or environmental impacts arising from the activities of an entity that are borne by others, at least in the short term. As they do not feedback directly into immediate financial consequences for the entity, they tend to be outside the remit of financial reporting. A dispersed academic accounting literature on externalities has hitherto developed separately from concerns about what information is appropriate to report on corporate performance. This paper develops insights into accounting for, and reporting of, externalities that are intended to improve the use of externalities information in breaking down silos between the traditionally discrete domains of financial reporting and sustainability reporting, and between silos within sustainability reporting. Challenges in such use of externalities information are explored, including difficulties inherent in the quantification of externalities. The paper also highlights ways in which externalities can progressively become internalised, thereby bringing them more readily within the domain of economically focused financial reporting practices. An agenda for further research to help enhance the accounting for, and reporting of, externalities is also proposed. © 2018 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group

Corporate reporting and accounting for externalities

Externalities comprise economic, social and/or environmental impacts arising from the activities of an entity that are borne by others, at least in the short term. As they do not feedback directly into immediate financial consequences for the entity, they tend to be outside the remit of financial reporting. A dispersed academic accounting literature on externalities has hitherto developed separately from concerns about what information is appropriate to report on corporate performance. This paper develops insights into accounting for, and reporting of, externalities that are intended to improve the use of externalities information in breaking down silos between the traditionally discrete domains of financial reporting and sustainability reporting, and between silos within sustainability reporting. Challenges in such use of externalities information are explored, including difficulties inherent in quantification of externalities. The paper also highlights ways in which externalities can progressively become internalized, thereby bringing them more readily within the domain of economically-focused financial reporting practices. An agenda for further research to help enhance the accounting for, and reporting of, externalities is also proposed.PostprintPeer reviewe

Evaluating the integrated reporting journey:insights, gaps and agendas for future research

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify key challenges, opportunities, strengths and weaknesses experienced by the integrated reporting (IR) idea since the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC)’s Discussion Paper was published in late 2011. It provides insights into the phases of the IR journey as investigated by accounting researchers, identifies important gaps in the literature and sketches an agenda for future research. Design/methodology/approach: The paper develops a theoretically informed analysis of published IR research articles using the idea journey theoretical framework. The paper draws upon academic analysis and insights published in 65 IR-related articles across 83 accounting journals listed in the Scopus database. Findings: A key insight of the paper is that the academic literature has not yet covered all stages of the IR idea journey. The highest proportion of articles provide insights in the generation and production phases of this journey, while there is relatively little research into the impact phase of the IR idea. Furthermore, the locus of research covered by the current IR literature is situated at macro- and meso-levels. This reveals opportunities for future research to explore, at a more detailed level, interactions between single individuals or small groups in implementing or understanding the IR idea. Research limitations/implications: This paper focuses on the idea journey of the IIRC’s version of IR. It identifies gaps regarding the stages of the IR idea journey that have not been covered by the extant academic literature and suggests some research areas that need to be addressed to help inform improvements in policy and practice. A key limitation is that it draws on a single communication channel, namely, academic articles published in accounting journals, but it provides opportunities for considerable further developments. Originality/value: The paper extends IR research by reconciling insights from an understandably fragmented emerging literature. It provides a multi-dimensional perspective on IR, highlighting the dynamics and interrelationships in the literature. It also helps inform improvements in research, policy and practice by identifying gaps regarding the stages of the IR idea journey that have not been covered by the extant academic literature. Lastly, the paper builds on the work of innovation and creativity scholars showing how the idea journey framework can be used to shape and add coherence to accounting research. © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited