New governance modes for Germany's financial reporting system: Another retreat of the nation state?

Abstract

This paper inquires into the recent changes of accounting regulation in Germany. To track these changes systematically, we develop a general framework for comparing accounting regimes. Within this framework, we find privatization tendencies in accounting governance which go along with international convergence. A closer analysis also shows that the observable privatization processes do not imply a retreat of the state. Quite the contrary, the public sector has increased its interventions - albeit partly on a supranational level. Many reforms do not originate from 'exogenous' European legislation and are due to developments in the systemic accounting environment. Looking at the socio-economic context of financial reporting, we identify and discuss possible driving forces such as demographic developments, fraudulent conduct of reporting entities or the globalization of capital markets, which are the intrinsic forces causing the functional convergence towards a new system of accountancy. © The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press and the Society for the Advancement of Socio-Economics. All rights reserved.