The Accounting, Accountability & Financial Management research group has grown significantly over the past two years, expanding from three to ten staff, with their research consequently adopting a broader remit incorporating Financial Management and Critical Perspectives in Accounting, as well as an increased focus on issues of Corporate Governance and Accountability. We also host visiting academics from universities around the world as well as a senior research fellow from the accounting profession who is Director of Corporate Governance and Risk Management within ACCA. Members of the group specialise in a wide range of research, focusing in particular on (1) Accounting, Accountability, and Corporate Governance, and (2) Accounting, Financial Management, and Valuation. First, a distinctive contribution of the group is a strong focus on key aspects of corporate governance, associated regulations and accountability. This includes research into boards of directors, executive compensation and comparative international corporate governance frameworks (for example, China, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Taiwan). The governance and accountability of financial institutions also represents an important research area with staff investigating pension fund governance and accounting, socially responsible investment, and institutional investor engagement and dialogue. An important theme running through the critical accounting research involves sustainability issues, with staff focusing on stakeholder engagement, climate change reporting and biodiversity. Second, the group has an interest in market-based accounting and financial research, with a focus on the role of accounting information in fundamental equity analysis and the role of real options in investment analysis. Investment analysis research includes real option pricing and the implications of real options for company performance and valuation. Members of the group are aiming to explore the governance framework of banks across the European Union. The group has an active PhD programme with PhD students a broad range of issues including full cost accounting, climate change reporting, corporate governance, auditing and shareholder activism. The following diagram seeks to summarise the research themes underlying the work of the Accounting, Accountability & Financial Management group.
Accounting, Accountability & Financial Management group research themes (pdf).