Four research pathways for understanding the role of smart technologies in accounting
11 Aug 2021-Meditari Accountancy Research (Emerald Publishing Limited)-Vol. 29, Iss: 5, pp 1041-1062
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors study the role of smart technologies (e.g., artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, blockchain and analytics, among others) in the accounting environment (AE) and propose a new framework (SMATECHacc Framework) consisting of four pathways research that can be used by future researchers to consider and construct their own research designs.
Abstract: This paper aims to study the role of smart technologies (e.g., artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, blockchain and analytics, among others) in the accounting environment (AE). In this context, the nuances of innovation generated by such technologies allow for tracing the merging trends in accounting research.,This paper uses an integrated qualitative methodology composed of structured literature analysis and systematic literature analysis to study scientific papers published and stored in prominent databases from 2000 to 2020. This paper collected a data set sharing topics related to smart technologies and innovation in the AE.,The primary findings reveal four research paths of innovation, impact, implication and intelligence in accounting research as follows: smart technologies as innovations to be managed; smart technologies as impacting tools affecting the AE in certain circumstances; smart technologies as a source generating relevant implications; and smart technologies as factors requiring new and updated knowledge, skills and abilities of actors.,The joint investigation of the AE and smart technologies poses a milestone for future academic and professional accounting research. This paper proposes a new framework (SMATECHacc Framework) consisting of four pathways research that can be used by future researchers to consider and construct their own research designs.
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TL;DR: In this article, a bibliometric analysis about the impacts caused by digital transformation on managerial auditing is presented, which reveals the existence of four independent research areas: continuous auditing (Green Cluster), fraud detection (Blue Cluster), data analytics (Yellow Cluster), and technological innovation (Red Cluster).
32 citations
TL;DR: A systematic literature review (SLR) of 346 research products available on Scopus, which were mapped with bibliometric analyses and critically discussed in relation to three main topics: the impact of blockchain on accounting and auditing, crypto assets and finance, business models and supply chain management as discussed by the authors .
Abstract:
Purpose
This study aims to review the academic literature on the utilization of blockchain in accounting practice and research to identify potential opportunities for further scientific investigation and to provide a framework for how accounting practices are impacted by blockchain.
Design/methodology/approach
This study is based on a systematic literature review (SLR) of 346 research products available on Scopus, which were mapped with bibliometric analyses and critically discussed in relation to three main topics: the impact of blockchain on accounting and auditing, cryptoassets and finance, business models and supply chain management.
Findings
Blockchain has many potential implications for accounting practice and research. In addition to providing the state-of-the-art of accounting research on blockchain and additional avenues for further studies, this study discusses why practitioners are interested in this technology: triple-entry bookkeeping, the inalterability of transactions, the automation of repetitive tasks that do not require discretionary choices, the representation of cryptocurrencies in financial statements, value-chain management, social and environmental auditing and reporting and business model innovation.
Originality/value
The novel contribution of this study is integrated and threefold. First, this SLR provides a clear picture of the state of the accounting research on blockchain using bibliographic and narrative analyses. Second, it investigates how accounting and auditing practices are impacted by blockchain. Third, it contributes to the accounting literature with its discussion of the potential future research trends related to blockchain for accounting.
18 citations
15 citations
TL;DR: In this paper , a case study of Banca Mediolanum in Italy, a first-mover who notarised its non-financial declaration on a public blockchain to mitigate the information asymmetries that negatively impact stakeholder engagement, is presented.
Abstract:
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate blockchain’s enabling role for sustainability reporting. This study extends the scientific knowledge about the impacts related to the notarisation of mandatory sustainability reports through a publicly available blockchain.
Design/methodology/approach
Building on the idea journey framework, this paper presents the case study of Banca Mediolanum in Italy, a first-mover who notarised its non-financial declaration on a public blockchain to mitigate the information asymmetries that negatively impact stakeholder engagement.
Findings
The analysis reveals that the notarisation of the non-financial reports through a publicly available blockchain can represent a tool useful to mitigate the asymmetric information between organisations and stakeholders.
Practical implications
Although academics and practitioners have observed the benefits of its implementation, only a few companies have adopted blockchain systems to ensure their information’s reliability. The findings underline the opportunity for socially responsible organisations to signal their orientation towards sustainable development through the adoption of an innovative tool.
Social implications
The proliferation of non-financial reports prepared on mandatory basis mitigated the signalling effects related to the disclosure of non-financial information. The case study underlines the opportunity for socially responsible organisations to overcoming this criticism through notarisation.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study about sustainability reporting practices and blockchain. This research contributes to the currently scarce discussion about the role of blockchain in non-financial reporting. In addition, the authors contribute to the scientific conversation about the need to rethink assurance in non-financial reporting practices.
13 citations
TL;DR: In this article , a qualitative bibliometric analysis includes studies from 2017 to 2021 using the Scopus and Web of Science databases, which yielded 277 published papers with the keywords, FinTech accounting and auditing.
Abstract:
Purpose
This study aims to know the tactician role of financial technology (FinTech) in the field of accounting and auditing through contextualized systematic literature review by using bibliometric analysis.
Design/methodology/approach
The qualitative bibliometric analysis includes studies from 2017 to 2021 using the Scopus and Web of Science databases, which yielded 277 published papers with the keywords, FinTech accounting and auditing. The contextualized systematic literature review greatly helped in clarifying the content within each cluster.
Findings
The study identified the tactician role of fintech primarily in the accounting and auditing professional field. Fintech is still in its inception, with continual development and implementation taking place especially, in the auditing field. The findings also confirm that FinTech can produce a confluence between various research areas, including accounting, auditing, business finance, economics, management and business field.
Research limitations/implications
The study describes the tactician role of FinTech and its huge possibility for future study in the accounting and auditing field among professionals, academics and regulators.
Practical implications
This study be able to help accounting professionals, policymakers and government regulators to establish policy development, as this research emphasizes the tactician role of FinTech in the accounting and auditing field.
Social implications
FinTech in accounting and auditing might add to the existing field of FinTech in the IR4.0 era that give benefits to different players such as policymakers, governments, researchers, FinTech entrepreneurs and practicing professionals.
Originality/value
To the best of the author’s knowledge, little focus has been given about FinTech in the accounting and auditing field using bibliometric analysis. The insights of systematic literature review provide researchers on FinTech among practicing professionals and offer opportunities for further scientific endeavours.
1 citations
References
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Posted Content•
TL;DR: The extent to which the process of systematic review can be applied to the management field in order to produce a reliable knowledge stock and enhanced practice by developing context-sensitive research is evaluated.
Abstract: Undertaking a review of the literature is an important part of any research project. The researcher both maps and assesses the relevant intellectual territory in order to specify a research question which will further develop the knowledge base. However, traditional 'narrative' reviews frequently lack thoroughness, and in many cases are not undertaken as genuine pieces of investigatory science. Consequently they can lack a means for making sense of what the collection of studies is saying. These reviews can be biased by the researcher and often lack rigour. Furthermore, the use of reviews of the available evidence to provide insights and guidance for intervention into operational needs of practitioners and policymakers has largely been of secondary importance. For practitioners, making sense of a mass of often-contradictory evidence has become progressively harder. The quality of evidence underpinning decision-making and action has been questioned, for inadequate or incomplete evidence seriously impedes policy formulation and implementation. In exploring ways in which evidence-informed management reviews might be achieved, the authors evaluate the process of systematic review used in the medical sciences. Over the last fifteen years, medical science has attempted to improve the review process by synthesizing research in a systematic, transparent, and reproducible manner with the twin aims of enhancing the knowledge base and informing policymaking and practice. This paper evaluates the extent to which the process of systematic review can be applied to the management field in order to produce a reliable knowledge stock and enhanced practice by developing context-sensitive research. The paper highlights the challenges in developing an appropriate methodology.
7,368 citations
"Four research pathways for understa..." refers methods in this paper
...We adopted the SLR, integrated with the systematic literature and bibliometric review (Lombardi and Secundo, 2021; Tranfield et al., 2003; Petticrew and Roberts, 2006; Post et al., 2020; Secundo et al., 2020; Van Eck and Waltman, 2017)....
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors evaluate the process of systematic review used in the medical sciences to produce a reliable knowledge stock and enhanced practice by developing context-sensitive research and highlight the challenges in developing an appropriate methodology.
Abstract: Undertaking a review of the literature is an important part of any research project. The researcher both maps and assesses the relevant intellectual territory in order to specify a research question which will further develop the knowledge hase. However, traditional 'narrative' reviews frequently lack thoroughness, and in many cases are not undertaken as genuine pieces of investigatory science. Consequently they can lack a means for making sense of what the collection of studies is saying. These reviews can he hiased by the researcher and often lack rigour. Furthermore, the use of reviews of the available evidence to provide insights and guidance for intervention into operational needs of practitioners and policymakers has largely been of secondary importance. For practitioners, making sense of a mass of often-contrad ictory evidence has hecome progressively harder. The quality of evidence underpinning decision-making and action has heen questioned, for inadequate or incomplete evidence seriously impedes policy formulation and implementation. In exploring ways in which evidence-informed management reviews might be achieved, the authors evaluate the process of systematic review used in the medical sciences. Over the last fifteen years, medical science has attempted to improve the review process hy synthesizing research in a systematic, transparent, and reproducihie manner with the twin aims of enhancing the knowledge hase and informing policymaking and practice. This paper evaluates the extent to which the process of systematic review can be applied to the management field in order to produce a reliable knowledge stock and enhanced practice by developing context-sensitive research. The paper highlights the challenges in developing an appropriate methodology.
7,020 citations
Book•
16 Dec 2005TL;DR: Systematic review methods have been widely used in health care, and are becoming increasingly common in the social sciences (fostered by the work of the Campbell Collaboration) as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Such diverse thinkers as Lao-Tze, Confucius, and U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld have all pointed out that we need to be able to tell the difference between real and assumed knowledge. The systematic review is a scientific tool that can help with this difficult task. It can help, for example, with appraising, summarising, and communicating the results and implications of otherwise unmanageable quantities of data. This is important because quite often there are so many studies, and their results are often so conflicting, that no policymaker or practitioner could possibly carry out this task themselves.Systematic review methods have been widely used in health care, and are becoming increasingly common in the social sciences (fostered, for example, by the work of the Campbell Collaboration).
This book outlines the rationale and methods of systematic reviews, giving worked examples from social science and other fields. It requires no previous knowledge, but takes the reader through the process stage by stage. It draws on examples from such diverse fields as psychology, criminology, education, transport, social welfare, public health, and housing and urban policy, among others.The book includes detailed sections on assessing the quality of both quantitative, and qualitative research; searching for evidence in the social sciences;meta-analytic and other methods of evidence synthesis; publication bias; heterogeneity; and approaches to dissemination.
3,263 citations
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TL;DR: The need to develop appropriate and efficient analytical methods to leverage massive volumes of heterogeneous data in unstructured text, audio, and video formats is highlighted and the need to devise new tools for predictive analytics for structured big data is reinforced.
2,962 citations
"Four research pathways for understa..." refers methods in this paper
...Big Data allows for the management of enormous amounts of data from various sources using digital tool and obtaining invaluable insights through six dimensions volume, velocity, variety, veracity, variability and value (Gandomi and Haider, 2015; Morabito, 2015; Secundo et al., 2017)....
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TL;DR: In a recent special issue on digital innovation management as mentioned in this paper, the authors proposed four new theorizing logics, or elements, that are likely to be valuable in constructing more accurate explanations of innovation processes and outcomes in an increasingly digital world.
Abstract: Rapid and pervasive digitization of innovation processes and outcomes has upended extant theories on innovation management by calling into question fundamental assumptions about the definitional boundaries for innovation, agency for innovation, and the relationship between innovation processes and outcomes. There is a critical need for novel theorizing on digital innovation management that does not rely on such assumptions and draws on the rich and rapidly emerging research on digital technologies. We offer suggestions for such theorizing in the form of four new theorizing logics, or elements, that are likely to be valuable in constructing more accurate explanations of innovation processes and outcomes in an increasingly digital world. These logics can open new avenues for researchers to contribute to this important area. Our suggestions in this paper, coupled with the six research notes included in the special issue on digital innovation management, seek to offer a broader foundation for reinventing innovation management research in a digital world.
1,274 citations
"Four research pathways for understa..." refers background in this paper
...…become hot accounting research topics owing to the growing complexity of contemporary organizations and the environment in which they operate, survive, exchange information globally and create longterm value (de Villiers et al., 2021; Lombardi et al., 2020a; Nambisan et al., 2017; Wessel, 2005)....
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...…literature (de Villiers et al., 2021; De Santis and D’Onza, 2021; La Torre et al., 2018; Lombardi et al., 2020a; Mancini, 2016; Mancini et al., 2016; Nambisan et al., 2017; Stainbank and Gurr, 2016; Troshani et al., 2019; Wessel, 2005) drafting the current state of the art and contributing in…...
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