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It's 2020: What is Accounting Today?

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  • Garry Carnegie
  • Lee Parker
  • Eva Tsahuridu

Abstract

Based on the acceptance of the importance of clear definitions and concepts, we explore conventional definitions of accounting and chart their change and development. While accounting's definitions have evolved, they do not, in our view, adequately reflect accounting as social and moral practice but rather continue to position accounting as a technical practice, despite the valuable work of key accounting scholars particularly over the last four decades. We highlight the social and moral aspects of accounting and propose a new definition of accounting for the 2020s to stimulate discussion, debate and improvement. In our opinion, accounting has a way to go to reach its true potential.

Suggested Citation

  • Garry Carnegie & Lee Parker & Eva Tsahuridu, 2021. "It's 2020: What is Accounting Today?," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 31(1), pages 65-73, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ausact:v:31:y:2021:i:1:p:65-73
    DOI: 10.1111/auar.12325
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    5. Lyndie Bayne & Juliana Ng & Marvin Wee, 2022. "Supply chain disclosure: stakeholder preferences versus current practice in Australia," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 62(3), pages 3875-3911, September.
    6. Dominic Cyr & Suzanne Landry & Anne Fortin, 2023. "Financial Disclosure Management by Charitable Organisations: A Conceptual and Operational Framework," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 33(1), pages 46-65, March.
    7. Berenike Wiener, 2021. "The Framing of Sustainable Finance in Charitable Foundations—Findings from a Qualitative Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-15, September.
    8. Michael Bradbury & Bryan Howieson, 2021. "Editorial: Virtual Issue and Call for Special Issue on IFRS 9 Financial Instruments," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 31(1), pages 3-4, March.
    9. Ellie Norris & Shawgat Kutubi & Steven Greenland, 2022. "Accounting and First Nations: A Systematic Literature Review and Directions for Future Research," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 32(2), pages 156-180, June.
    10. Roger L. Burritt & Stefan Schaltegger & Katherine Leanne Christ, 2023. "Environmental Management Accounting – Developments Over the Last 20 years from a Framework Perspective," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 33(4), pages 336-351, December.
    11. Spanò, Rosanna & Grossi, Giuseppe & Landi, Giovanni Catello, 2022. "Academic entrepreneurial hybrids: Accounting and accountability in the case of MegaRide," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 54(5).

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