There has been sustained interest in explaining why firms adopt different management accounting practices. This paper applies contingency theory to respond empirically to calls by Gerdin (2005), Tillema (2005) and Chenhall (2007) to increase understanding of factors that explain management accounting sophistication. We examine the impact of a range of potentially contingent variables on a broad...

Accounting for accounting demands renewed attention to the knowledge practices of the accounting profession and anthropological analysis. Using data and theory from Islamic accountancy in Indonesia and the global network of Islamic financial engineers, this article challenges work on accounting’s rhetorical functions by attending to the inherent reflexivity of accounting practice and the practi...

Key conclusions • The emphasis on management accounting in SMEs tends to be on control information rather than aiding decision-making; there is a tendency to make decisions without adequate, or indeed any, financial information or analysis; • In smaller enterprises, the management accounting is often undertaken by the owner-manager/entrepreneur, resulting in significant opportunity costs. Where...