The Sociology of Accountancy: A Study of Academic and Practice Community Schisms

A sociologic study is conducted of the 20th-century schisms in the US accountancy profession. One of them involved rival groups of practitioners. Subsequent schisms involved differences between the academic and practice communities. Earlier schisms involved contests about reporting practices or curriculum, while the present schism, which is of particular interest, is characterized by a diminished sense of communication and fundamental differences between academics and practitioners. It originated with a basic change in the academic accounting environment that occurred in the 1960s. The schism is reflected in disagreement over educational accreditation, program culture and content, and research agenda and models. The change is attributable to 3 factors: 1. the growth of the number of students seeking accountancy degrees during the 1950s and 1960s, 2. the increased proportion of faculty holding both a full-time appointment and a research doctorate, and 3. the added demand for more highly educated practicing public accountants.