Regulation of the accounting profession in the context of the cultural dimensions of G. Hofstede

Abstract

Research objective: The aim of the article is to analyze and identify the relationship between the factors of G. Hofstede's cultural model and the method of regulating access to the accounting profession in the surveyed European countries. For the purposes of the study, the thesis was adopted that countries with a system of external regulation or a system of self-regulation with external control will be characterized by: 1) A large distance to power; 2) A high level of individualism; 3) A low level of masculinity (femininity); 4) A high degree of avoidance of uncertainty; 5) A low degree of long-term orientation; 6) A low level of indulgence. In the context of dilemmas regarding the potential method of regulating the accounting profession in Poland, the cultural conditions of this country were also examined in order to position them in comparison to other countries with a system of external regulations or self-regulation with external supervision. Methodology: For the purposes of the article, the desk reaserch method, literature studies and analysis of the content of legal provisions and other regulations regarding the principles of practicing the accounting profession in selected European countries were used. Main conclusions: The results of the study allowed to conclude that countries applying external regulations or self-regulation with external supervision are characterized by a specific palette of common cultural factors according to the G. Hofstede model. In particular, the thesis that countries applying external regulation or self-regulation with external supervision of access to the accounting profession are characterized by a relatively high degree of avoidance of uncertainty and distance from power and a relatively lower degree of masculinity compared to countries based on self-regulatory mechanisms of the accounting profession proved to be true. The least important feature for the tendency to regulate the accounting profession is the feature of long-term orientation. The remaining factors - low levels of individualism and low levels of indulgence - have a moderate impact on the tendency to establish strict regulations of the accounting profession. Application of the study: The results of the study allow to assess the adequacy of specific regulatory solutions in the field of the accounting profession and accounting itself and to predict and assess accounting behavior originating from specific cultural circles in the context of globalization. In practical terms, they are part  of  the ongoing discussion undertaken by the Ministry of Finance in Poland and the accounting community in Poland in 2022 on the return to regulation of the accounting profession in the country. Originality/Novelty of the study: The research carried out in this article is a pilot study. They were aimed at preliminary verification of the truth of the thesis that there is a relationship between the cultural characteristics of selected countries and the way in which access to the accounting profession is regulated in them. The obtained research results contributed to reducing the identified research gap in this area. The undertaken research problem has the potential for further in-depth research, covering a larger number of countries, but also the study of multi-stage relationships between cultural features and the way the accounting profession is established in the world.