Does Accounting Matter? A Social Constructivist Perspective

Abstract

Accounting plays an integral role in the construction of economic reality, and therefore, it matters to accountants, users of financial information, and all those who are impacted by the decisions made based on accounting information. Beyond examining why accounting matters, this paper demonstrates how a cyclical process creates and reinforces a particular accountant-created reality, and how legitimacy is gained for agents within the system. Accounting matters because as the preparers of financial statements, accountants construct a reality. As this constructed reality is used, it is legitimized and perpetuated, and the process repeats to reinforce the reality and influence society. Throughout this process, the structure of society is also reinforced. Understanding that the reality is a created one means that societal change is possible, as the construction can be altered.