IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/aosoci/v51y2016icp29-46.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A study of alliance dynamics, accounting and trust-as-practice

Author

Listed:
  • Mahama, Habib
  • Chua, Wai Fong

Abstract

Adapting Callon's three-phased model of translation, this paper investigates the formation and development of an outsourcing alliance. It also maps the changing connections between trust and accounting. Instead of theorising trust as a noun, the paper defines trust as situated practice: an accomplishment constructed through the actions and routinized practices of multiple actors, both human and non-human. Trust/trustworthiness was observed to be not one thing but many - diverse notions emerging from the ‘doing’ of routines enacted in the name of trust. Accounting was centrally entangled in the birth of the alliance, its structuring and in the routines to find and select trustworthy suppliers, to monitor them regularly in order to justify ongoing trusting, and to repair growing distrust. Finally, the origins of the alliance crucially affected its subsequent trajectory - earlier investment in finding trustworthy suppliers meant that later poor performance not only generated strong disappointment but came to be seen as a breach of trust and a failure to honour promises.

Suggested Citation

  • Mahama, Habib & Chua, Wai Fong, 2016. "A study of alliance dynamics, accounting and trust-as-practice," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 29-46.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:aosoci:v:51:y:2016:i:c:p:29-46
    DOI: 10.1016/j.aos.2016.04.004
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0361368216300459
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.aos.2016.04.004?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. van der Meer-Kooistra, Jeltje & Vosselman, Ed G. J., 2000. "Management control of interfirm transactional relationships: the case of industrial renovation and maintenance," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 25(1), pages 51-77, January.
    2. Wai Fong Chua & Habib Mahama, 2007. "The Effect of Network Ties on Accounting Controls in a Supply Alliance: Field Study Evidence," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 24(1), pages 47-86, March.
    3. Gautam Ahuja & Giuseppe Soda & Akbar Zaheer, 2012. "The Genesis and Dynamics of Organizational Networks," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 23(2), pages 434-448, April.
    4. Van den Abbeele, Alexandra & Roodhooft, Filip & Warlop, Luk, 2009. "The effect of cost information on buyer-supplier negotiations in different power settings," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 245-266, February.
    5. David Emsley & Filip Kidon, 2007. "The Relationship between Trust and Control in International Joint Ventures: Evidence from the Airline Industry," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 24(3), pages 829-858, September.
    6. Baiman, Stanley & Rajan, Madhav V., 2002. "Incentive issues in inter-firm relationships," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 27(3), pages 213-238, April.
    7. Dekker, Henri C., 2004. "Control of inter-organizational relationships: evidence on appropriation concerns and coordination requirements," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 27-49, January.
    8. Stanley Baiman & Madhav V. Rajan, 2002. "The Role of Information and Opportunism in the Choice of Buyer‐Supplier Relationships," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(2), pages 247-278, May.
    9. Dambrin, Claire & Robson, Keith, 2011. "Tracing performance in the pharmaceutical industry: Ambivalence, opacity and the performativity of flawed measures," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 36(7), pages 428-455.
    10. Dekker, Henri C., 2008. "Partner selection and governance design in interfirm relationships," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 33(7-8), pages 915-941.
    11. Frances, Jennifer & Garnsey, Elizabeth, 1996. "Supermarkets and suppliers in the United Kingdom: System integration, information and control," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 21(6), pages 591-610, August.
    12. Hines, Ruth D., 1988. "Financial accounting: In communicating reality, we construct reality," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 13(3), pages 251-261, April.
    13. Shannon W. Anderson & Henri C. Dekker, 2005. "Management Control for Market Transactions: The Relation Between Transaction Characteristics, Incomplete Contract Design, and Subsequent Performance," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 51(12), pages 1734-1752, December.
    14. Mathis Schulte & N. Andrew Cohen & Katherine J. Klein, 2012. "The Coevolution of Network Ties and Perceptions of Team Psychological Safety," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 23(2), pages 564-581, April.
    15. Andreas I. Nicolaou & Karen L. Sedatole & Nancy K. Lankton, 2011. "Integrated Information Systems and Alliance Partner Trust," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 28(3), pages 1018-1045, September.
    16. Mouritsen, Jan & Thrane, Sof, 2006. "Accounting, network complementarities and the development of inter-organisational relations," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 31(3), pages 241-275, April.
    17. Callon, Michel, 2009. "Civilizing markets: Carbon trading between in vitro and in vivo experiments," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 34(3-4), pages 535-548, April.
    18. Mathis Schulte & N.A. Cohen & K.K. Klein, 2012. "The Co-Evolution of Network Ties and Perceptions of Psychological Safety," Post-Print hal-00715598, HAL.
    19. Hakansson, Hakan & Lind, Johnny, 2004. "Accounting and network coordination," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 51-72, January.
    20. Free, Clinton, 2008. "Walking the talk? Supply chain accounting and trust among UK supermarkets and suppliers," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 33(6), pages 629-662, August.
    21. Tomkins, Cyril, 2001. "Interdependencies, trust and information in relationships, alliances and networks," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 26(2), pages 161-191, March.
    22. Henri C. Dekker & Alexandra Van den Abbeele, 2010. "Organizational Learning and Interfirm Control: The Effects of Partner Search and Prior Exchange Experiences," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 21(6), pages 1233-1250, December.
    23. Damon Golsorkhi & Linda Rouleau & David Seidl & Eero Vaara, 2015. "Cambridge Handbook of Strategy as Practice," Post-Print hal-02298228, HAL.
    24. Michel Callon & Fabian Muniesa, 2005. "Economic markets as calculative collective devices," Post-Print halshs-00087477, HAL.
    25. Hopwood, Anthony G., 1996. "Looking across rather than up and down: On the need to explore the lateral processing of information," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 21(6), pages 589-590, August.
    26. Qu, Sandy Q. & Cooper, David J., 2011. "The role of inscriptions in producing a balanced scorecard," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 36(6), pages 344-362.
    27. Caglio, Ariela & Ditillo, Angelo, 2008. "A review and discussion of management control in inter-firm relationships: Achievements and future directions," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 33(7-8), pages 865-898.
    28. Robson, Keith, 1991. "On the arenas of accounting change: The process of translation," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 16(5-6), pages 547-570.
    29. Vélez, Maria L. & Sánchez, José M. & Álvarez-Dardet, Concha, 2008. "Management control systems as inter-organizational trust builders in evolving relationships: Evidence from a longitudinal case study," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 33(7-8), pages 968-994.
    30. Anoop Madhok & Stephen B. Tallman, 1998. "Resources, Transactions and Rents: Managing Value Through Interfirm Collaborative Relationships," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 9(3), pages 326-339, June.
    31. Gietzmann, Miles B., 1996. "Incomplete contracts and the make or buy decision: Governance design and attainable flexibility," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 21(6), pages 611-626, August.
    32. Vosselman, Ed & Meer-Kooistra, Jeltje van der, 2009. "Accounting for control and trust building in interfirm transactional relationships," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 267-283, February.
    33. Claire Dambrin & Keith Robson, 2011. "Tracing performance in the pharmaceutical industry: ambivalence, opacity and the performativity of flawed measures," Post-Print hal-00687848, HAL.
    34. Robson, Keith, 1992. "Accounting numbers as "inscription": Action at a distance and the development of accounting," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 17(7), pages 685-708, October.
    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. Pantic, B., 2016. "Comparability of financial reports: A literature review of most recent studies," Working Papers 6451, Graduate School of Management, St. Petersburg State University.
    2. Pucci, Richard & Skærbæk, Peter, 2020. "The co-performation of financial economics in accounting standard-setting: A study of the translation of the expected credit loss model in IFRS 9," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    3. Reusen, Evelien & Stouthuysen, Kristof, 2020. "Trust transfer and partner selection in interfirm relationships," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    4. Ferry, Laurence & Midgley, Henry & Haslam, Jim, 2024. "Democracy, accountability, accounting and trust: A critical perspective reflecting on a UK Parliamentary inquiry into the role of government accounts," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    5. Liff, Roy & Wahlström, Gunnar, 2017. "Managerś assessment of thin and thick trust: The importance of benevolence in interbank relations," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 33(3), pages 151-161.
    6. Habib Mahama & Zhichao (Alex) Wang, 2023. "Impact of the interactive and diagnostic uses of performance measurement systems on procedural fairness perception, cooperation and performance in supply alliances," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 63(3), pages 3253-3296, September.

    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. Vosselman, Ed & Meer-Kooistra, Jeltje van der, 2009. "Accounting for control and trust building in interfirm transactional relationships," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 267-283, February.
    2. Sharlene Biswas & Chris Akroyd, 2022. "Collaborative inter‐organisational relationships and management control change," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 62(4), pages 4569-4586, December.
    3. Juan Manuel Ramon-Jeronimo & Raquel Florez-Lopez & Maria Angeles Ramon-Jeronimo, 2017. "Understanding the Generation of Value along Supply Chains: Balancing Control Information and Relational Governance Mechanisms in Downstream and Upstream Relationships," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(8), pages 1-31, August.
    4. Caglio, Ariela & Ditillo, Angelo, 2008. "A review and discussion of management control in inter-firm relationships: Achievements and future directions," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 33(7-8), pages 865-898.
    5. Kornberger Martin & Pflueger Dane & Mouritsen Jan, 2017. "Evaluative infrastructures : Accounting for platform organization," Post-Print hal-02276737, HAL.
    6. O'Connor, Neale G. & Schloetzer, Jason D. & Romero, Jorge & Wu, Anne, 2022. "How multi-sourcing can influence management control: Case study evidence from the electronic products supply chain," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 54(5).
    7. Kornberger, Martin & Pflueger, Dane & Mouritsen, Jan, 2017. "Evaluative infrastructures: Accounting for platform organization," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 79-95.
    8. Liff, Roy & Wahlström, Gunnar, 2017. "Managerś assessment of thin and thick trust: The importance of benevolence in interbank relations," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 33(3), pages 151-161.
    9. Damien Bo, 2009. "Inter-Organizational Controls in Public Land Concession Contracts," Working Papers hal-00462488, HAL.
    10. Wai Fong Chua & Habib Mahama, 2007. "The Effect of Network Ties on Accounting Controls in a Supply Alliance: Field Study Evidence," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 24(1), pages 47-86, March.
    11. Muhammad Kaleem Zahir-ul-Hassan & Reinald A. Minnaar & Ed Vosselman, 2016. "Governance and control as mediating instruments in an inter-firm relationship: towards collaboration or transactions?," Accounting and Business Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(4), pages 365-389, June.
    12. Giovanna Centorrino & Guido Noto & Daniela Rupo, 2022. "Management control in inter-firm relationships: Opportunities and challenges of blockchain technology adoption," MANAGEMENT CONTROL, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2022(3), pages 65-88.
    13. Ariela Caglio & Angelo Ditillo, 2012. "Interdependence and accounting information exchanges in inter-firm relationships," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 16(1), pages 57-80, February.
    14. Juan M. Ramon-Jeronimo & M. Concepcion Alvarez-Dardet Espejo & David Naranjo-Gil, 2008. "Effects of management control systems on commitment in inter-organizational relationships," Working Papers 08.03, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Department of Business Administration.
    15. Reusen, Evelien & Stouthuysen, Kristof, 2020. "Trust transfer and partner selection in interfirm relationships," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    16. Tsamenyi, Mathew & Qureshi, Ahmad Z. & Yazdifar, Hassan, 2013. "The contract, accounting and trust: A case study of an international joint venture (IJV) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)," Accounting forum, Elsevier, vol. 37(3), pages 182-195.
    17. Thambar, Paul J. & Brown, David A. & Sivabalan, Prabhu, 2019. "Managing systemic uncertainty: The role of industry-level management controls and hybrids," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 1-1.
    18. Clinton Free, 2007. "Supply†Chain Accounting Practices in the UK Retail Sector: Enabling or Coercing Collaboration?," Contemporary Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 24(3), pages 897-933, September.
    19. Chenhall, Robert H. & Moers, Frank, 2015. "The role of innovation in the evolution of management accounting and its integration into management control," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 1-13.
    20. Luis Silva Domingo & Teresa Canet-Giner & Ana Redondo-Cano, 2011. "Management control paths: applying levers of control in interorganisational relationships," Documentos de Investigación 65, Universidad ORT Uruguay. Facultad de Administración y Ciencias Sociales.

    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:aosoci:v:51:y:2016:i:c:p:29-46. 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: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/aos .

    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.