THE PRODUCTION OF KNOWLEDGE IN ACCOUNTING

This paper is a case study in knowledge (non) production in accounting . It starts by telling the story of Professor Arthur L. Thomas who aim ed to produce knowledge by demonstrating the basic ambiguity of income measurement in his two penetrating monographs. As the story proceeds, it becomes apparent, however, that creativity itself is just the star ting point for a successful finding. We shall see how the individual r esearcher, in his efforts to change the prevailing conceptual order, i s tied to a whole variety of institutions and networks in the wider so ciety. That connection appears to constrain the scope of possible succ essful findings in accounting. A new continuation cannot be just any c ontinuation, but it must Bt in with some part of the network. Only the n can a researcher generate enough allies who will lend their support to the discovery. The analysis of the communal base of knowledge produ ction will demonstrate how the locus of conceptual order is in the aud ience and how this creates a basis for understanding how certain kinds of knowledge claims in the accounting arena face better chances of su ccess than others. This setting, which emphasizes the role of the audi ence in deciding what is knowledge, is not without its problems. The m ajor problem arises from the fact that only individuals, who are prepa red to suggest new controversial ideas, can provide material for conce ptual change. But this begs the question of how to provide them with a forum in the modern academic world? A few ideas are suggested. Copyri ght (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd