IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/accfor/v37y2013i3p213-230.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Dissemination and institutionalization of public sector accounting reforms in less developed countries: A comparative study of the Nepalese and Sri Lankan central governments

Author

Listed:
  • Adhikari, Pawan
  • Kuruppu, Chamara
  • Matilal, Sumohon

Abstract

One of the major issues in the developing world today is the alleviation of poverty and it is acknowledged that public sector accounting has a key role to play in this through the effective allocation of resources. Implementing public sector accounting changes in developing nations has been a key agenda of international organizations since the 1980s. This study, drawing on the ideas of new institutionalism, strives to explore the implementation of public sector accounting reforms in two less developed countries (LDCs), namely Nepal and Sri Lanka. The empirical findings of the study demonstrate that, while internationally propagated public sector accounting reform ideas have not gone beyond the trial/proposal stage in Nepal, colonialism has bequeathed on Sri Lanka the promotion of accounting education and training, enabling the country to implement some of these reform ideas. However, increasing resistance to accounting changes at the lower administrative level, witnessed in both countries, indicates a need to understand the contexts of LDCs and to fulfil basic preconditions prior to disseminating/embarking on reforms there.

Suggested Citation

  • Adhikari, Pawan & Kuruppu, Chamara & Matilal, Sumohon, 2013. "Dissemination and institutionalization of public sector accounting reforms in less developed countries: A comparative study of the Nepalese and Sri Lankan central governments," Accounting forum, Elsevier, vol. 37(3), pages 213-230.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:accfor:v:37:y:2013:i:3:p:213-230
    DOI: 10.1016/j.accfor.2013.01.001
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0155998213000021
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.accfor.2013.01.001?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Abu Shiraz Rahaman & Stewart Lawrence, 2001. "Public sector accounting and financial management in a developing country organisational context: a three‐dimensional view," Accounting Forum, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(2), pages 189-210, June.
    2. Irvine, Helen, 2008. "The global institutionalization of financial reporting: The case of the United Arab Emirates," Accounting forum, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 125-142.
    3. Wijewardena, Hema & Yapa, Senarath, 1998. "Colonialism and accounting education in developing countries: The experiences of Singapore and Sri Lanka," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 33(2), pages 269-281.
    4. World Bank, 2007. "Sri Lanka : Public Sector Accounting and Auditing, A Comparison to International Standards," World Bank Publications - Reports 6797, The World Bank Group.
    5. Sandy Q. Qu & John Dumay, 2011. "The qualitative research interview," Qualitative Research in Accounting & Management, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 8(3), pages 238-264, August.
    6. Trevor Hopper & Mathew Tsamenyi & Shahzad Uddin & Danture Wickramasinghe, 2009. "Management accounting in less developed countries: what is known and needs knowing," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 22(3), pages 469-514, March.
    7. How, Shi-Min & Alawattage, Chandana, 2012. "Accounting decoupled: A case study of accounting regime change in a Malaysian company," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 23(6), pages 403-419.
    8. Shahzad Uddin & Bernard Gumb & Stephen Kasumba, 2011. "Trying to operationalise typologies of the spectacle," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 24(3), pages 288-314, March.
    9. Mr. Richard I Allen, 2009. "The Challenge of Reforming Budgetary Institutions in Developing Countries," IMF Working Papers 2009/096, International Monetary Fund.
    10. Michela Arnaboldi & Irvine Lapsley, 2009. "On the Implementation of Accrual Accounting: A Study of Conflict and Ambiguity," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(4), pages 809-836.
    11. Jane Broadbent & James Guthrie, 2008. "Public sector to public services: 20 years of “contextual” accounting research," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 21(2), pages 129-169, February.
    12. World Bank, 2007. "Nepal : Public Sector Accounting and Auditing, A Comparison to International Standards," World Bank Publications - Reports 6867, The World Bank Group.
    13. Ball, Amanda & Craig, Russell, 2010. "Using neo-institutionalism to advance social and environmental accounting," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 21(4), pages 283-293.
    14. Helen Irvine, 2011. "From go to woe," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 24(7), pages 824-847, September.
    15. World Bank, 2003. "Sri Lanka : Country Financial Accountability Assessment," World Bank Publications - Reports 14597, The World Bank Group.
    16. Noel Hepworth, 2003. "Preconditions for Successful Implementation of Accrual Accounting in Central Government," Public Money & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(1), pages 37-44, January.
    17. Mariannunziata Liguori & Ileana Steccolini, 2012. "Accounting change: explaining the outcomes, interpreting the process," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 25(1), pages 27-70, January.
    18. Ezzamel, Mahmoud & Robson, Keith & Stapleton, Pam, 2012. "The logics of budgeting: Theorization and practice variation in the educational field," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 37(5), pages 281-303.
    19. ChunLei Yang & Sven Modell, 2013. "Power and performance," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 26(1), pages 101-132, January.
    20. Christine Ryan & James Guthrie & Ron Day, 2007. "Politics of Financial Reporting and the Consequences for the Public Sector," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 43(4), pages 474-487, December.
    21. Hood, Christopher, 1995. "The "new public management" in the 1980s: Variations on a theme," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 20(2-3), pages 93-109.
    22. Helen Irvine, 2008. "The global institutionalization of financial reporting: The case of the United Arab Emirates," Accounting Forum, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(2), pages 125-142, June.
    23. Sheila Ellwood & Susan Newberry, 2007. "Public sector accrual accounting: institutionalising neo‐liberal principles?," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 20(4), pages 549-573, July.
    24. Abu Shiraz Rahaman & Jeff Everett & Dean Neu, 2007. "Accounting and the move to privatize water services in Africa," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 20(5), pages 637-670, September.
    25. Lynne Conrad & Pinar Guven Uslu, 2012. "UK health sector performance management: Conflict, crisis and unintended consequences," Accounting Forum, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(4), pages 231-250, December.
    26. Carruthers, Bruce G., 1995. "Accounting, ambiguity, and the new institutionalism," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 20(4), pages 313-328, May.
    27. Dean Neu & Jeff Everett & Abu Shiraz Rahaman, 2009. "Accounting assemblages, desire, and the body without organs," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 22(3), pages 319-350, March.
    28. Chamisa, Edward E., 2000. "The Relevance and Observance of the IASC Standards in Developing Countries and the Particular Case of Zimbabwe," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 35(2), pages 267-286, July.
    29. World Bank, 2007. "Sri Lanka - Public Sector Accounting and Auditing : A Comparison to International Standards," World Bank Publications - Reports 7706, The World Bank Group.
    30. Vicente Pina & Lourdes Torres & Ana Yetano, 2009. "Accrual Accounting in EU Local Governments: One Method, Several Approaches," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(4), pages 765-807.
    31. International Monetary Fund, 2007. "Nepal: Report on Observance of Standards and Codes: Fiscal Transparency Module," IMF Staff Country Reports 2007/346, International Monetary Fund.
    32. Chwastiak, Michele, 2001. "Taming the untamable: planning, programming and budgeting and the normalization of war," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 26(6), pages 501-519, August.
    33. Rahaman, Abu Shiraz, 2010. "Critical accounting research in Africa: Whence and whither," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 21(5), pages 420-427.
    34. International Monetary Fund, 2007. "Hungary: Report on Observance of Standards and Codes: Fiscal Transparency Module," IMF Staff Country Reports 2007/011, International Monetary Fund.
    35. Conrad, Lynne & Guven Uslu, Pinar, 2012. "UK health sector performance management: Conflict, crisis and unintended consequences," Accounting forum, Elsevier, vol. 36(4), pages 231-250.
    36. World Bank, 2010. "Public Sector Accounting and Auditing in South Asia : A Comparison to International Standards," World Bank Publications - Reports 2890, The World Bank Group.
    37. Bakre, Owolabi M., 2008. "Financial reporting as technology that supports and sustains imperial expansion, maintenance and control in the colonial and post-colonial globalisation: The case of the Jamaican economy," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 19(4), pages 487-522.
    38. Mahmoud Ezzamel & Noel Hyndman & Åge Johnsen & Irvine Lapsley & June Pallot, 2007. "Experiencing institutionalization: the development of new budgets in the UK devolved bodies," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 20(1), pages 11-40, March.
    39. Mark Christensen, 2005. "The 'third hand': Private sector consultants in public sector accounting change," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(3), pages 447-474.
    40. Irvine Lapsley & Riccardo Mussari & Gert Paulsson, 2009. "On the Adoption of Accrual Accounting in the Public Sector: A Self-Evident and Problematic Reform," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(4), pages 719-723.
    41. World Bank, 2007. "Nepal - Public Sector Accounting and Auditing : A Comparison to International Standards," World Bank Publications - Reports 7751, The World Bank Group.
    42. Miller, Peter & Napier, Christopher, 1993. "Genealogies of calculation," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 18(7-8), pages 631-647.
    43. Cameron Graham, 2009. "Accounting and subalternity: enlarging a research space," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 22(3), pages 309-318, March.
    44. Pollitt, Christopher & Bouckaert, Geert, 2004. "Public Management Reform: A Comparative Analysis," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, edition 2, number 9780199268498.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Dr Kayode Ismaila ASHAJU & Professor Ofuan James ILABOYA & Professor Alade Sule OMOYE Author-Workplace-NameDepartment of Accounting, Faculty of Management Sciences, University of Benin, Benin City, Ni, 2024. "International Public Sector Accounting Standards Implementation Resources and Government Financial Reporting Quality: The Moderating Influence of Institutional Culture," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 8(8), pages 1394-1411, August.
    2. Muhammad Faisal Majid & Muhammad Meraj & Muhammad Shujaat Mubarik, 2022. "In the Pursuit of Environmental Sustainability: The Role of Environmental Accounting," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-20, May.
    3. Zubir Azhar & Ervina Alfan & Krishnen Kishan & Nurul Husna Assanah, 2022. "Accrual Accounting at Different Levels of the Public Sector: A Systematic Literature Review," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 32(1), pages 36-62, March.
    4. Philip Olawale Odewole & Rafiu Oyesola Salawu, 2020. "The Implementation of Budget Reform and the Level of Compliance among the Public Sector Entities in Nigeria," Journal of Business Administration Research, Journal of Business Administration Research, Sciedu Press, vol. 9(2), pages 1-19, October.
    5. Sabrina Gigli & Laura Mariani & Angelo Paletta, 2021. "Management accounting and governance implications: The case of the University of Bologna," MANAGEMENT CONTROL, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2021(suppl. 2), pages 289-311.
    6. Apostol, Oana & Pop, Alina, 2019. "‘Paying taxes is losing money’: A qualitative study on institutional logics in the tax consultancy field in Romania," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 1-23.
    7. Chandrasiri Abeysinghe & Dinushika Samanthi, 2016. "Accrual Basis and Political Interest in Public Sector Accounting. The Case of a Municipal Council in Sri Lanka," International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting, Finance and Management Sciences, Human Resource Management Academic Research Society, International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting, Finance and Management Sciences, vol. 6(3), pages 58-68, July.
    8. Clerkin, Brendan & Quinn, Martin, 2021. "Institutional agents missing in action?: Management accounting at non-governmental organisations," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    9. Upadhaya, Bedanand & Munir, Rahat & Blount, Yvette & Su, Sophia, 2018. "Does organizational culture mediate the CSR – strategy relationship? Evidence from a developing country, Nepal," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 108-122.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ferry, Laurence & Zakaria, Zamzulaila & Zakaria, Zarina & Slack, Richard, 2018. "Framing public governance in Malaysia: Rhetorical appeals through accrual accounting," Accounting forum, Elsevier, vol. 42(2), pages 170-183.
    2. Maran, Laura & Bracci, Enrico & Inglis, Robert, 2018. "Performance management systems' stability: Unfolding the human factor – A case from the Italian public sector," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 50(3), pages 324-339.
    3. Hopper, Trevor & Lassou, Philippe & Soobaroyen, Teerooven, 2017. "Globalisation, accounting and developing countries," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 125-148.
    4. Bruns, Hans-Jürgen, 2014. "Accounting change and value creation in public services—Do relational archetypes make a difference in improving public service performance?," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 25(4), pages 339-367.
    5. Staci A. Kenno & Michelle C. Lau & Barbara J. Sainty, 2018. "In Search of a Theory of Budgeting: A Literature Review," Accounting Perspectives, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 17(4), pages 507-553, December.
    6. Mari Kobayashi & Kiyoshi Yamamoto & Keiko Ishikawa, 2016. "The Usefulness of Accrual Information in Non‐mandatory Environments: The Case of Japanese Local Government," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 26(2), pages 153-161, June.
    7. Kraus, Kalle & Kennergren, Cecilia & von Unge, Amelie, 2017. "The interplay between ideological control and formal management control systems – A case study of a non-governmental organisation," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 42-59.
    8. Kathryn Trewavas & Nives Botica Redmayne & Fawzi Laswad, 2012. "The Impact of IFRS Adoption on Public Sector Financial Statements," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 22(1), pages 86-102, March.
    9. Chandrasiri Abeysinghe & Dinushika Samanthi, 2016. "Accrual Basis and Political Interest in Public Sector Accounting. The Case of a Municipal Council in Sri Lanka," International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting, Finance and Management Sciences, Human Resource Management Academic Research Society, International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting, Finance and Management Sciences, vol. 6(3), pages 58-68, July.
    10. Goddard, Andrew & Assad, Mussa & Issa, Siasa & Malagila, John & Mkasiwa, Tausi A., 2016. "The two publics and institutional theory – A study of public sector accounting in Tanzania," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 8-25.
    11. Oulasvirta, Lasse, 2014. "The reluctance of a developed country to choose International Public Sector Accounting Standards of the IFAC. A critical case study," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 25(3), pages 272-285.
    12. Albu, Cătălin Nicolae & Albu, Nadia & Alexander, David, 2014. "When global accounting standards meet the local context—Insights from an emerging economy," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 25(6), pages 489-510.
    13. Christian Nitzl & Dennis Hilgers & Bernhard Hirsch & David Lindermüller, 2020. "The Influence of the Organizational Structure, Environment, and Resource Provision on the Use of Accrual Accounting in Municipalities," Schmalenbach Business Review, Springer;Schmalenbach-Gesellschaft, vol. 72(2), pages 271-298, April.
    14. Samuel, Sajay & Manassian, Armond, 2011. "The rise and coming fall of international accounting research," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 22(6), pages 608-627.
    15. Tóth, Balázs, 2021. "Milyen kapcsolatban állnak a közszféra reformjai a gazdaságpolitikai paradigmákkal? [How reforms of the public sector relate to the paradigms of economic policy]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(2), pages 205-222.
    16. Mussari Riccardo, 2014. "EPSAS and the Unification of Public Sector Accounting Across Europe," Accounting, Economics, and Law: A Convivium, De Gruyter, vol. 4(3), pages 299-312, December.
    17. Ana Paula Silva & Alexandra Fontes & Carlos Menezes & Tânia Menezes Montenegro, 2023. "Transitioning to an IFRS-Based Accounting System: Longitudinal Insights from Practitioners in Portugal," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(20), pages 1-21, October.
    18. Guido Modugno & Ferdinando Di Carlo & Manuela Lucchese & Tommaso Agasisti, 2021. "Grafting New Values into Public Institutions by Reforming the Accounting System: Lessons Learned from the Italian Higher Education System," International Journal of Business and Management, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 15(7), pages 1-20, July.
    19. Rodrigues, Lúcia Lima & Craig, Russell, 2018. "The role of government accounting and taxation in the institutionalization of slavery in Brazil," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 21-38.
    20. Marco Tieghi & Rebecca L. Orelli & Emanuele Padovani, 2018. "Accounting Reform in Italian Universities. Internal Response to Accounting Change," MANAGEMENT CONTROL, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2018(1), pages 117-138.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:accfor:v:37:y:2013:i:3:p:213-230. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/accounting-forum .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.