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Review of Managerial Science
Erschienen in: Review of Managerial Science 5/2019

21.12.2017 | Original Paper

Professionalization of management accounting in family firms: the impact of family members

verfasst von: Martin R. W. Hiebl, Barbara Mayrleitner

Erschienen in: Review of Managerial Science | Ausgabe 5/2019

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Abstract

Literature on the professionalization of management accounting in family firms has extensively focused on non-family experts, such as controllers or CFOs, as drivers of this process, a somewhat one-sided view. The present study therefore aims to explore how family managers may contribute to the professionalization of management accounting in family firms. For this purpose, we develop a framework that identifies the controlling family’s ability and willingness to professionalize as necessary conditions for professionalization. We apply this framework to a single case study of a family firm situated in the German-speaking area of Europe, followed from the business’ foundation in the 1980s until 2014. Our findings show that under certain conditions, members of the controlling family may indeed primarily promote the professionalization of management accounting. Consequently, further research should not only relate the level of family influence at a firm to measures of management accounting professionalization but also consider the controlling family’s ability and willingness to professionalize management accounting.
Vorheriger Artikel Without each other, we have nothing: a state-of-the-art analysis on how to operationalize social capital
Nächster Artikel Interfirm coopetition, trust, and opportunism: a mediated moderation model

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Fußnoten
1
Note that, because our case study focuses on family members’ impact on the professionalization of management accounting, Fig. 1 centers on family members’ ability and willingness. However, studies incorporating non-family members’ ability to professionalize management accounting could also use our framework. Even if non-family members might be considered to drive the professionalization of management accounting, the family members’—that is, the business owners’—willingness to professionalize seems to be a necessary condition; non-family managers likely cannot professionalize management accounting without the consent of the family business owners (cf. Chrisman et al. 2016; Giovannoni et al. 2011).
 
2
Although many management accountants in the German-speaking area of Europe take continuing education courses in management accounting, the suppliers of such courses do not possess as strong a social recognition as, for instance, the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) in the UK (Heinzelmann 2016).
 
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Metadaten
Titel
Professionalization of management accounting in family firms: the impact of family members
verfasst von
Martin R. W. Hiebl
Barbara Mayrleitner
Publikationsdatum
21.12.2017
Verlag
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Erschienen in
Review of Managerial Science / Ausgabe 5/2019
Print ISSN: 1863-6683
Elektronische ISSN: 1863-6691
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11846-017-0274-8

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