PROFIT-SHARING IN AUSTRALIAN-BIG-6 ACCOUNTING FIRMS - AN EXPLORATORY-STUDY

Authors
Citation
G. Burrows et C. Black, PROFIT-SHARING IN AUSTRALIAN-BIG-6 ACCOUNTING FIRMS - AN EXPLORATORY-STUDY, Accounting, organizations and society, 23(5-6), 1998, pp. 517-530
Citations number
45
Categorie Soggetti
Business Finance
ISSN journal
03613682
Volume
23
Issue
5-6
Year of publication
1998
Pages
517 - 530
Database
ISI
SICI code
0361-3682(1998)23:5-6<517:PIAAF->2.0.ZU;2-4
Abstract
Although partnership reward systems, particularly in Big 6 accounting firms, are important to several areas of accounting research, only ske tchy information about the firms' profit-sharing schemes is extant. Ag ainst this background, we report on an exploratory investigation into the organizational structures of Australian Big 6 accounting partnersh ips and the profit-sharing arrangements practised in their Melbourne o ffices. The equivocal theoretical prescriptions concerning profit shar ing methodologies-particularly the contrasting approaches of equal and performance-based allocations-are reflected in the findings, which al so reveal hitherto undisclosed aspects of the firms' internal operatio ns and partner reward systems. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All righ ts reserved.