University management practices, accounting, gender and institutional denial

Abstract

Purpose

This paper sets out to examine the problematic gendered effects of the spread of an accounting mentality in university performance appraisal, academic awareness that accounting only ever tells part of the story notwithstanding.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on the authors' experience, and thus deploys a version of autoethnography.

Findings

It was found that universities risk being seriously compromised by this “matrix madness”, and that it also specifically disadvantages women.

Originality/value

The paper presents an examination of the intersection between knowledge, power effects, accounting, gender and academic performance management.

Citation

Anderson‐Gough, F. and Brown, R. (2008), "University management practices, accounting, gender and institutional denial", Pacific Accounting Review, Vol. 20 No. 2, pp. 94-101. https://doi.org/10.1108/01140580810892445