The politics of the changing forms of accounting: A field study of strategy translation in a Danish government‐owned company under privatisation

Abstract

This paper presents an in‐depth study of the processes of constructing a new strategy in a large Danish government‐owned ferry company undergoing privatisation. To explain the emerging characteristics of accounting, the sociology of translation is used. The paper provides a story of a translation of strategy and related management initiatives using Callon's four moments of translation. The story illustrates how, during the translation process, accounting changed its characteristics and uses from principles of control to principles of financialisation. Such emergent forms of accounting also reflect the political manoeuvring in the organisation as the result of network relationships. However, networks are open to erosion and undermining by active agents, changing the purposes of accounting. Whereas other authors within accounting, applying the sociology of translation, usually conceptualise accounting as inscriptions, this study explicates accounting as an interessement device. Finally, the study suggests that the sociology of translation may be a promising explication of accounting change.

Citation

Skærbæk, P. and Melander, P. (2004), "The politics of the changing forms of accounting: A field study of strategy translation in a Danish government‐owned company under privatisation", Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Vol. 17 No. 1, pp. 17-40. https://doi.org/10.1108/09513570410525193