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The development of management accounting in UK clearing banks, 1920-70

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  • Mark Billings
  • Forrest Capie

Abstract

There is a perception that, in the British banks which dominated the industry for much of the twentieth century, management accounting was limited in scope and contributed to a general inefficiency in these institutions. Various official reports published from the 1960s until very recently have reinforced this view. However, some authors have argued that the banks were more sophisticated in their management than such criticisms would imply. This paper investigates the role, development and limitations of management accounting in the sector, drawing on archival evidence and relating this to the more general development of management accounting. In advancing our understanding, evidence is found to support both views.

Suggested Citation

  • Mark Billings & Forrest Capie, 2004. "The development of management accounting in UK clearing banks, 1920-70," Accounting History Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(3), pages 317-338.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:acbsfi:v:14:y:2004:i:3:p:317-338
    DOI: 10.1080/0958520042000277793
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Matthews, Derek & Anderson, Malcolm & Edwards, John Richard, 1998. "The Priesthood of Industry: The Rise of the Professional Accountant in British Management," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198289609.
    2. Capie, Forrest & Billings, Mark, 2001. "Profitability in English banking in the twentieth century," European Review of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 5(3), pages 367-401, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Tharusha N. Gooneratne & Zahirul Hoque, 2013. "Management control research in the banking sector," Qualitative Research in Accounting & Management, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 10(2), pages 144-171, June.
    2. Bernardo Batiz-Lazo & Masayoshi Noguchi, 2011. "Accounting for dominance and submission: Disciplining building societies with accounting-based regulation, circa 1960," Discussion Paper Series DP2011-34, Research Institute for Economics & Business Administration, Kobe University.
    3. repec:dau:papers:123456789/2431 is not listed on IDEAS

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