Accounting regulation is going through major changes in many jurisdictions. In Canada IFRS will be the  standards used by quoted corporations, although non traded corporations and other organizations will still be subject to Canadian accounting rules and GAAP. Accounting regulatory institutions are changing world wide, although Canada is unusual in the degree of self regulation (e.g. around standard setting and professional oversight). In the last half century the ‘regulatory bargain’ was between professional associations and nation states. In the last decade or two, the actors involved in accounting regulation have shifted towards other  actors, notably international trade agreements (through NAFTA and WTO) and multinational accounting firms (the Big 4). Their interests align more with financial markets and less with national corporations and capital, which often have a commitment to their location. 

At the same time, multinational accounting firms are an increasingly important site of regulation. It is they who interpret accounting standards in negotiations with clients about the treatment of unusual transactions. It is within these firms that many people train to be accountants and learn what being a good accountant is like. Based on research in Canada, the USA and the UK, we now know quite a lot about how accountants are themselves ‘regulated’, through the disciplinary practices of these large firms. It would seem the firms are much more important than education experiences and professional associations in shaping the identity of the modern accountant.

About the speaker: David Cooper:
David’s research focuses on power and rationality in organizations and society, and the role of accounting   knowledge and institutions in shaping and changing modern society and organizations. He is the Director of the PhD program for the University of Alberta School of Business.

To register:
Carlos Vargas:  cpia@ucalgary.ca  or 403-220-8530  
Space are limited.  
RSVP by March 14, 2008