We develop a unified measure of firm linkage from popular linkage indicators in the literature via graph-based machine learning methods and investigate its asset pricing implication. Using all A-shares listed in the Chinese stock market from 2003 to 2022, we reveal a widespread momentum spillover in the cross section of stock returns based on our linkage measure. In particular, a long-short trading strategy for portfolios sorted by our measure generates significant risk-adjusted returns of 0.83% on a monthly basis. We show that our measure contains incremental information on firm fundamental connections relative to well-documented alternative measures, and its predictive ability can be rationalized by the investor inattention hypothesis. Our study contributes to the literature which explores economic linkages that generate lead-lag predictability and sheds new light on the interconnected nature of companies in an economy via advanced machine learning techniques.
{"title":"Firm connection and equity return predictability – Graph-based machine learning methods","authors":"Mian Wu , Wenli Huang , Xiaoquan Liu , Qingxin Meng","doi":"10.1016/j.bar.2024.101436","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bar.2024.101436","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We develop a unified measure of firm linkage from popular linkage indicators in the literature via graph-based machine learning methods and investigate its asset pricing implication. Using all A-shares listed in the Chinese stock market from 2003 to 2022, we reveal a widespread momentum spillover<span> in the cross section of stock returns based on our linkage measure. In particular, a long-short trading strategy for portfolios sorted by our measure generates significant risk-adjusted returns of 0.83% on a monthly basis. We show that our measure contains incremental information on firm fundamental connections relative to well-documented alternative measures, and its predictive ability can be rationalized by the investor inattention hypothesis. Our study contributes to the literature which explores economic linkages that generate lead-lag predictability and sheds new light on the interconnected nature of companies in an economy via advanced machine learning techniques.</span></div></div>","PeriodicalId":47996,"journal":{"name":"British Accounting Review","volume":"58 2","pages":"Article 101436"},"PeriodicalIF":9.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147425893","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2024-12-16DOI: 10.1016/j.bar.2024.101542
Yi Hong, Maochun Xu, Conghua Wen
This study proposes an algorithmic framework that integrates the dynamic modelling of the term structure of treasury bond yields with the generation of market-consistent economic scenarios. The unscented Kalman filter (UKF) that works as a non-linear learning instrument for historical bond yields under the multi-factor models can facilitate the in-sample yield curve modelling, underpinned by statistical inferences, and further enhance the performance of the out-of-sample bond pricing and yield predictability. Moreover, market views that gauge the holistic assessments of macroeconomic prospects are incorporated into our framework. As such, the market-consistent economic scenarios are driven primarily by the dynamics of the term structure of bond yields and aggregate market sentiments among investors, offering a new instrument for interest rate risk management.
{"title":"On the dynamics of treasury bond yields: From term structure modelling to economic scenario generation","authors":"Yi Hong, Maochun Xu, Conghua Wen","doi":"10.1016/j.bar.2024.101542","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bar.2024.101542","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><span>This study proposes an algorithmic framework that integrates the dynamic modelling of the term structure of treasury bond yields with the generation of market-consistent economic scenarios. The unscented Kalman filter<span> (UKF) that works as a non-linear learning instrument for historical bond yields under the multi-factor models can facilitate the in-sample yield curve modelling, underpinned by statistical inferences, and further enhance the performance of the out-of-sample bond pricing and yield predictability. Moreover, market views that gauge the holistic assessments of </span></span>macroeconomic<span> prospects are incorporated into our framework. As such, the market-consistent economic scenarios are driven primarily by the dynamics of the term structure of bond yields and aggregate market sentiments among investors, offering a new instrument for interest rate risk management.</span></div></div>","PeriodicalId":47996,"journal":{"name":"British Accounting Review","volume":"58 2","pages":"Article 101542"},"PeriodicalIF":9.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142887374","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2023-09-04DOI: 10.1016/j.bar.2023.101261
Zhuo (June) Cheng , Jing Fang , Yinglei Zhang
Using finite mixture normal regressions, we find that the relation between idiosyncratic volatility (IVOL) and realized return is negative for one latent group and positive for the other latent group. The intercept is larger for the group with a positive relation than for the group with a negative relation; the negative relation concentrates in firms with large negative realized return in the bottom two quintiles and the positive relation concentrates in firms with large positive realized return in the top two quintiles; the likelihood of having a negative relation is positively related to price-to-value ratio estimates. Realized return has a prominent mispricing-correction component that is negative (positive) for overvalued (undervalued) firms and decreases (increases) with the degree of overvaluation (undervaluation) corrected. Overall, our findings are consistent with the positive relation between IVOL and mispricing. Our findings suggest that an overall negative relation between IVOL and realized return is driven by the negative relation between IVOL and the mispricing-correction component from overvalued firms. Rationally determined expected return cannot be negative. Evidently, an overall negative relation between IVOL and realized return does not contradict the prediction of rational asset pricing theories.
{"title":"Idiosyncratic volatility and return: A finite mixture approach","authors":"Zhuo (June) Cheng , Jing Fang , Yinglei Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.bar.2023.101261","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bar.2023.101261","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Using finite mixture normal regressions, we find that the relation between idiosyncratic volatility (IVOL) and realized return is negative for one latent group and positive for the other latent group. The intercept is larger for the group with a positive relation than for the group with a negative relation; the negative relation concentrates in firms with large negative realized return in the bottom two quintiles and the positive relation concentrates in firms with large positive realized return in the top two quintiles; the likelihood of having a negative relation is positively related to price-to-value ratio estimates. Realized return has a prominent mispricing-correction component that is negative (positive) for overvalued (undervalued) firms and decreases (increases) with the degree of overvaluation (undervaluation) corrected. Overall, our findings are consistent with the positive relation between IVOL and mispricing. Our findings suggest that an overall negative relation between IVOL and realized return is driven by the negative relation between IVOL and the mispricing-correction component from overvalued firms. Rationally determined expected return cannot be negative. Evidently, an overall negative relation between IVOL and realized return does not contradict the prediction of rational asset pricing theories.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47996,"journal":{"name":"British Accounting Review","volume":"58 2","pages":"Article 101261"},"PeriodicalIF":9.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46398669","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2025-01-19DOI: 10.1016/j.bar.2025.101551
Khalid Abbas
Digitalization and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have the potential to disrupt and transform the management accounting domain and the role of accountants. The study systematically reviews 91 articles, synthesizing scholarly work on digitalization, AI, machine learning (ML), deep learning (DL), explainable AI, generative AI, and large language models (LLMs) in management accounting. In this context, the value of the paper is multi-fold. First, we argue that these technologies transform accounting information and organizational structures, affecting the accounting function's relationship with other organizational functions. Second, they present new challenges for management accountants, including data privacy, confidentiality, security and ethical concerns. Third, digital technologies automate basic accounting tasks and decision-making processes, potentially reshaping management accountants' roles and skills in terms of job elimination, upskilling, deskilling and reskilling. Fourth, these technologies create new opportunities for multidisciplinary collaboration and redefine professional boundaries. This paper contributes by discussing the impact of digitalization and the latest AI technologies on management accounting, illustrating how they can create business value, and highlighting associated challenges and risks for the profession. It proposes research agendas and potential research questions for future studies, providing insight into the potential impacts and implications for the accounting profession and the role of accountants.
{"title":"Management accounting and artificial intelligence: A comprehensive literature review and recommendations for future research","authors":"Khalid Abbas","doi":"10.1016/j.bar.2025.101551","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bar.2025.101551","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Digitalization and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have the potential to disrupt and transform the management accounting domain and the role of accountants. The study systematically reviews 91 articles, synthesizing scholarly work on digitalization, AI, machine learning (ML), deep learning (DL), explainable AI, generative AI, and large language models (LLMs) in management accounting. In this context, the value of the paper is multi-fold. First, we argue that these technologies transform accounting information and organizational structures, affecting the accounting function's relationship with other organizational functions. Second, they present new challenges for management accountants, including data privacy, confidentiality, security and ethical concerns. Third, digital technologies automate basic accounting tasks and decision-making processes, potentially reshaping management accountants' roles and skills in terms of job elimination, upskilling, deskilling and reskilling. Fourth, these technologies create new opportunities for multidisciplinary collaboration and redefine professional boundaries. This paper contributes by discussing the impact of digitalization and the latest AI technologies on management accounting, illustrating how they can create business value, and highlighting associated challenges and risks for the profession. It proposes research agendas and potential research questions for future studies, providing insight into the potential impacts and implications for the accounting profession and the role of accountants.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47996,"journal":{"name":"British Accounting Review","volume":"58 2","pages":"Article 101551"},"PeriodicalIF":9.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147425894","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2024-12-04DOI: 10.1016/j.bar.2024.101541
Xu Feng , Mingya Hu , Cong Luo , Jiaquan Yao , Kunpeng Zhang
Labor litigation involves disputes between a firm and its employees over the latter's rights and obligations, and it may increase the uncertainty of firms' business operations and thus affect their financial decisions. Using textual analysis of judicial documents on labor and personnel disputes obtained from a specialized dataset, we find that labor litigation prompts firms to increase their cash holdings. Further analysis indicates that this effect mainly occurs in firms with higher labor adjustment costs, in regions where labor regulations and labor protection are strongly enforced, and in firms with high corporate social responsibility and high financial constraints. Finally, we find that increasing corporate cash holdings after labor litigation improves both firm performance and the market value of cash.
{"title":"Labor litigation and corporate cash holdings: Insights from the textual analysis of judicial documents","authors":"Xu Feng , Mingya Hu , Cong Luo , Jiaquan Yao , Kunpeng Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.bar.2024.101541","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bar.2024.101541","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Labor litigation involves disputes between a firm and its employees over the latter's rights and obligations, and it may increase the uncertainty of firms' business operations and thus affect their financial decisions. Using textual analysis of judicial documents on labor and personnel disputes obtained from a specialized dataset, we find that labor litigation prompts firms to increase their cash holdings. Further analysis indicates that this effect mainly occurs in firms with higher labor adjustment costs, in regions where labor regulations and labor protection are strongly enforced, and in firms with high corporate social responsibility and high financial constraints. Finally, we find that increasing corporate cash holdings after labor litigation improves both firm performance and the market value of cash.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47996,"journal":{"name":"British Accounting Review","volume":"58 2","pages":"Article 101541"},"PeriodicalIF":9.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142816561","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2025-02-05DOI: 10.1016/j.bar.2025.101588
Rina Dhillon, Prabhu Sivabalan
The rapid evolution of digital technologies has significantly reshaped governance. While much existing literature focuses on public blockchain governance, fewer investigate governance mechanisms of private and consortium blockchains, increasingly prevalent in society. We explore how blockchain systems enact governance using Beck et al.’s (2018) framework examining decision rights, accountability, and incentives. Interviews with eighteen blockchain experts reveal that public blockchains offer greater decision rights, less accountability and emphasise intrinsic incentives. In contrast, private and consortium blockchains adopt hierarchical governance where central entities regulate access, decision-making and behavioural norms. These systems prioritise extrinsic incentives and accountability than public blockchains. Our findings challenge the view of blockchain as purely decentralised, instead offering evidence of hybridised structures in practice. We also extend Beck et al.’s framework by studying three blockchain types and propose a systems and structure-based rationale for control in blockchains, as opposed to trust-based mechanisms (Pflueger et al. (2022)). Finally, we offer a variation on how responsibility and accountability depart, beyond extant MA studies (Burkert et al., 2011; Giraud et al., 2008) - suggesting that openness does not necessarily equate to enhanced accountability. These insights are crucial for understanding blockchain governance and have important implications for digital systems integration in organisations.
数字技术的快速发展极大地重塑了治理。虽然许多现有文献都侧重于公共区块链治理，但很少有文献研究在社会中日益普遍的私人和财团区块链的治理机制。我们使用Beck等人（2018）的框架来研究决策权、问责制和激励，探讨区块链系统如何制定治理。对18位bb0专家的采访显示，公共区块链提供了更大的决策权，更少的问责制，并强调内在激励。相比之下，私人和财团区块链采用分层治理，由中央实体监管访问、决策和行为规范。这些系统优先考虑外部激励和问责制，而不是公共区块链。我们的研究结果挑战了区块链是纯粹分散的观点，而是提供了实践中混合结构的证据。我们还通过研究三种区块链类型扩展了Beck等人的框架，并提出了一种基于系统和结构的区块链控制原理，而不是基于信任的机制（Pflueger等人（2022））。最后，我们提供了一种关于责任和问责制如何分离的变化，超越了现有的硕士研究(Burkert et al., 2011；Giraud et al., 2008)——这表明开放并不一定等同于加强问责。这些见解对于理解区块链治理至关重要，并对组织中的数字系统集成具有重要意义。
{"title":"Exploring dimensions of governance for different types of blockchain systems","authors":"Rina Dhillon, Prabhu Sivabalan","doi":"10.1016/j.bar.2025.101588","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bar.2025.101588","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The rapid evolution of digital technologies has significantly reshaped governance. While much existing literature focuses on public blockchain governance, fewer investigate governance mechanisms of private and consortium blockchains, increasingly prevalent in society. We explore how blockchain systems enact governance using Beck et al.’s (2018) framework examining decision rights, accountability, and incentives. Interviews with eighteen blockchain experts reveal that public blockchains offer greater decision rights, less accountability and emphasise intrinsic incentives. In contrast, private and consortium blockchains adopt hierarchical governance where central entities regulate access, decision-making and behavioural norms. These systems prioritise extrinsic incentives and accountability than public blockchains. Our findings challenge the view of blockchain as purely decentralised, instead offering evidence of hybridised structures in practice. We also extend Beck et al.’s framework by studying three blockchain types and propose a systems and structure-based rationale for control in blockchains, as opposed to trust-based mechanisms (Pflueger et al. (2022)). Finally, we offer a variation on how responsibility and accountability depart, beyond extant MA studies (Burkert et al., 2011; Giraud et al., 2008) - suggesting that openness does not necessarily equate to enhanced accountability. These insights are crucial for understanding blockchain governance and have important implications for digital systems integration in organisations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47996,"journal":{"name":"British Accounting Review","volume":"58 2","pages":"Article 101588"},"PeriodicalIF":9.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143418537","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2024-07-31DOI: 10.1016/j.bar.2024.101446
Zhiyu Zhang , Zheng Qiao , Yao Ge , Zhe Shen
Using an unsupervised topic modelling methodology, we construct a cross-firm similarity measure based on the various topics extracted from Management Discussion and Analysis texts. Our findings indicate that the returns of firms with similar textual topics predict the focal firms’ future stock returns. A long-short portfolio constructed on this basis yields an annualised alpha of 17.03%. Further analyses show that the return predictability is stronger for stocks subject to limited investor attention and limits to arbitrage. Additionally, our textual linkage measure can also predict future earnings surprises. Overall, mispricing due to sluggish information incorporation acts as a potential explanation for return predictability.
{"title":"Uncovering interfirm links through textual topic similarity: A comomentum analysis in financial markets","authors":"Zhiyu Zhang , Zheng Qiao , Yao Ge , Zhe Shen","doi":"10.1016/j.bar.2024.101446","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bar.2024.101446","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Using an unsupervised topic modelling methodology, we construct a cross-firm similarity measure based on the various topics extracted from Management Discussion and Analysis texts. Our findings indicate that the returns of firms with similar textual topics predict the focal firms’ future stock returns. A long-short portfolio constructed on this basis yields an annualised alpha of 17.03%. Further analyses show that the return predictability is stronger for stocks subject to limited investor attention and limits to arbitrage. Additionally, our textual linkage measure can also predict future earnings surprises. Overall, mispricing due to sluggish information incorporation acts as a potential explanation for return predictability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47996,"journal":{"name":"British Accounting Review","volume":"58 2","pages":"Article 101446"},"PeriodicalIF":9.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141994713","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2024-10-21DOI: 10.1016/j.bar.2024.101507
Yuhan Cheng, Yuming Zeng, Jie Zou
The search for predictive financial factors in stock pricing of companies has long been a key focus in accounting and finance, but traditional methods often require complex, subjective inputs. This paper introduces a method using ChatGPT-4 to generate financial factors based on the structure of financial statements and key variables, eliminating the need for numerical data. Leveraging GPT’s natural language processing capabilities and extensive knowledge base, our approach efficiently generates factors that are highly predictive of future returns and exhibit robustness over time, unaffected by variations in different conversational windows. Regression analysis demonstrates that these factors cannot be linearly explained by traditional financial factors. This paper highlights AI’s potential in revolutionizing financial analysis and decision-making.
{"title":"Harnessing ChatGPT for predictive financial factor generation: A new frontier in financial analysis and forecasting","authors":"Yuhan Cheng, Yuming Zeng, Jie Zou","doi":"10.1016/j.bar.2024.101507","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bar.2024.101507","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><span><span>The search for predictive financial factors in stock pricing of companies has long been a key focus in accounting and </span>finance<span>, but traditional methods often require complex, subjective inputs. This paper introduces a method using ChatGPT-4 to generate financial factors based on the structure of financial statements and key variables, eliminating the need for </span></span>numerical data<span>. Leveraging GPT’s natural language processing capabilities and extensive knowledge base, our approach efficiently generates factors that are highly predictive of future returns and exhibit robustness over time, unaffected by variations in different conversational windows. Regression analysis demonstrates that these factors cannot be linearly explained by traditional financial factors. This paper highlights AI’s potential in revolutionizing financial analysis and decision-making.</span></div></div>","PeriodicalId":47996,"journal":{"name":"British Accounting Review","volume":"58 2","pages":"Article 101507"},"PeriodicalIF":9.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142637393","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2024-08-08DOI: 10.1016/j.bar.2024.101460
Alexander C.A. van Slooten, Paula M.G. Dirks, Sebastian Firk
This study investigates the relationship between the anticipated digitalization of the finance and control function and management accountants' (MAs') role conflict and ambiguity. Drawing on role theory, we argue that digitalization is associated with increases in MAs' role conflict and ambiguity because digitalization leads to adaptations in the established role templates of MAs and also introduces new templates for the digital age. We further argue that digitalization is associated with a stronger (weaker) increase in role conflict and ambiguity the more MAs have a watchdog (business partner) orientation. The reason is that the role templates for the digital age are less coherent and clear for watchdog-oriented MAs than for their business partner counterparts. We test our predictions using survey data from 242 MAs in Dutch for-profit firms. While we do not find that digitalization is associated with MAs’ role conflict and ambiguity per se, it is associated with more (less) role ambiguity and conflict for MAs with a relatively stronger watchdog (business partner) orientation. Digitalization may thus act as a double-edged sword for the management accounting profession. MAs focusing on the watchdog role may struggle in the digital age, while their business partner counterparts are set to benefit from digitalization.
{"title":"Digitalization and management accountants’ role conflict and ambiguity: A double-edged sword for the profession","authors":"Alexander C.A. van Slooten, Paula M.G. Dirks, Sebastian Firk","doi":"10.1016/j.bar.2024.101460","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bar.2024.101460","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the relationship between the anticipated digitalization of the finance and control function and management accountants' (MAs') role conflict and ambiguity. Drawing on role theory, we argue that digitalization is associated with increases in MAs' role conflict and ambiguity because digitalization leads to adaptations in the established role templates of MAs and also introduces new templates for the digital age. We further argue that digitalization is associated with a stronger (weaker) increase in role conflict and ambiguity the more MAs have a watchdog (business partner) orientation. The reason is that the role templates for the digital age are less coherent and clear for watchdog-oriented MAs than for their business partner counterparts. We test our predictions using survey data from 242 MAs in Dutch for-profit firms. While we do not find that digitalization is associated with MAs’ role conflict and ambiguity per se, it is associated with more (less) role ambiguity and conflict for MAs with a relatively stronger watchdog (business partner) orientation. Digitalization may thus act as a double-edged sword for the management accounting profession. MAs focusing on the watchdog role may struggle in the digital age, while their business partner counterparts are set to benefit from digitalization.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47996,"journal":{"name":"British Accounting Review","volume":"58 2","pages":"Article 101460"},"PeriodicalIF":9.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141994710","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2025-08-20DOI: 10.1016/j.bar.2025.101742
Alnoor Bhimani , Lino Cinquini , Teemu Malmi
Organisations adopting digital technologies are seeing alterations in the structure and nature of data they track and process. Within this landscape of change, accounting systems tend to focus on the collection and aggregation of financial transaction data and the provision of quantitative and non-financial information to support decision-making processes. Evidence is, however, emerging that accounting controls and financial reporting are being reshaped in digitalising environments. We consider a number of accounting issues tied to the intersection of digitalisation and organisational processes highlighting the control implications of these changes. We identify related research possibilities and discuss the value of methodological pluralism in studying accounting in digitalising contexts.
{"title":"What happens at the interface of digitalisation and accounting?","authors":"Alnoor Bhimani , Lino Cinquini , Teemu Malmi","doi":"10.1016/j.bar.2025.101742","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.bar.2025.101742","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Organisations adopting digital technologies are seeing alterations in the structure and nature of data they track and process. Within this landscape of change, accounting systems tend to focus on the collection and aggregation of financial transaction data and the provision of quantitative and non-financial information to support decision-making processes. Evidence is, however, emerging that accounting controls and financial reporting are being reshaped in digitalising environments. We consider a number of accounting issues tied to the intersection of digitalisation and organisational processes highlighting the control implications of these changes. We identify related research possibilities and discuss the value of methodological pluralism in studying accounting in digitalising contexts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47996,"journal":{"name":"British Accounting Review","volume":"58 2","pages":"Article 101742"},"PeriodicalIF":9.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144898929","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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