Accounting Research

Director: Prof. Paula Dirks

The research conducted within the Accounting Research Programme focuses on the use of financial and non-financial information both within the organization and outside the organization. This information is used for various purposes, including decision making, control, and accountability to internal and external stakeholders. The members’ research interests are concentrated in two main areas: 1) management accounting and control and 2) corporate governance and financial accounting. The members of the programme apply a variety of research methods, ranging from archival studies, to survey studies, experimental research, and case studies. The research is conducted in and relevant to a range of sectors, including manufacturing, service, healthcare, education, banking, auditing, and the public sector.

Research within the area of management accounting and control covers various interconnected themes. It includes performance management and management control system research, which studies different uses of performance measurement information, management control in various organizational settings as well as in inter-organizational networks, and management control in relation to strategy implementation, compensation contracts and sustainability. Research in this area is also directed at understanding innovations and changes in management accounting and control systems. In addition, several studies examine the functioning of controllers and financial (middle) managers regarding risk management and digitalization. Research in the area of corporate governance and financial accounting also deals with various themes. Apart from studying board and top management team composition, it includes behavioral research on decision-making processes and leadership styles within the boardroom. Furthermore, research in this area examines how executive compensation contracts are structured as well as how externally directed information may be subject to earnings management and impression management. Lastly, various studies look at the relationship between the disclosure of financial reporting information, and security prices and debt market contracting.