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The operation of representation in accounting: A small addition to Dr. Macintosh's theory of accounting truths

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  • Mouritsen, Jan

Abstract

Dr. Norman Macintosh spans more theoretical horizon than most accounting researchers. There is a line of interest in his oeuvre concerned with the expansion of social theory to accounting issues. He is particularly fond of post-structuralist perspectives and has generated an enjoyable account of the bullshitter – the preparer of financial annual statements who plays by the rules but has no concern with objectivity and correspondence to reality. In this paper I challenge Macintosh just a little bit on the implications of bullshitting by addressing the problem of correspondence and objectivity in a slightly different way.

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  • Mouritsen, Jan, 2011. "The operation of representation in accounting: A small addition to Dr. Macintosh's theory of accounting truths," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 22(2), pages 228-235.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:crpeac:v:22:y:2011:i:2:p:228-235
    DOI: 10.1016/j.cpa.2010.06.015
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    1. Mattessich, Richard, 2003. "Accounting representation and the onion model of reality: a comparison with Baudrillard's orders of simulacra and his hyperreality," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 28(5), pages 443-470, July.
    2. Macintosh, Norman B. & Shearer, Teri & Thornton, Daniel B. & Welker, Michael, 2000. "Accounting as simulacrum and hyperreality: perspectives on income and capital," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 25(1), pages 13-50, January.
    3. Norman Macintosh, 2009. "Accounting and the Truth of Earnings Reports: Philosophical Considerations," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(1), pages 141-175.
    4. Malsch, Bertrand & Gendron, Yves, 2009. "Mythical representations of trust in auditors and the preservation of social order in the financial community," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 20(6), pages 735-750.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Kornberger Martin & Pflueger Dane & Mouritsen Jan, 2017. "Evaluative infrastructures : Accounting for platform organization," Post-Print hal-02276737, HAL.
    3. Bay, Charlotta, 2018. "Makeover accounting: Investigating the meaning-making practices of financial accounts," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 44-54.
    4. Andrew, Jane & Baker, Max & Huang, Casey, 2023. "Data breaches in the age of surveillance capitalism: Do disclosures have a new role to play?," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    5. Kornberger, Martin & Pflueger, Dane & Mouritsen, Jan, 2017. "Evaluative infrastructures: Accounting for platform organization," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 79-95.
    6. Ronzani, Matteo & Gatzweiler, Marian Konstantin, 2022. "The lure of the visual: Multimodality, simplification, and performance measurement visualizations in a megaproject," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    7. Morales, Jérémy & Lambert, Caroline, 2013. "Dirty work and the construction of identity. An ethnographic study of management accounting practices," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 38(3), pages 228-244.

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