This book, first published in 1988, is a readable, concise history of the accounting profession in the US from its beginnings to the late twentieth century. It examines the roots of the profession, how it developed, how its standards have evolved, and what social, economic and legal forces have shaped it. The chapters form a series of dramatic highlights, illustrative of the multifarious problems besetting a young profession, catapulted into prominence by the economic and social forces of the twentieth century.
The only comprehensive chronicle of American accountancy from the colonial period to the present, this completely revised edition provides practicing accountants and professional accounting students with a thorough knowledge of the origins of their profession. Gary John Previts and Barbara Dubis Merino address the evolution of accounting in social, political, and economic terms and discuss the major figures in each historical period. They consider the development of accounting in all of its major institutional domains, including public practice, financial reporting, business management, government, and education.
Among the major professions, certified public accountancy has the most severe underrepresentation of African Americans: less than 1 percent of CPAs are black. Theresa Hammond explores the history behind this statistic and chronicles the courage and determination of African Americans who sought to enter the field. In the process, she expands our understanding of the links between race, education, and economics. Drawing on interviews with pioneering black CPAs, among other sources, Hammond sets the stories of black CPAs against the backdrop of the rise of accountancy as a profession, the particular challenges that African Americans trying to enter the field faced, and the strategies that enabled some blacks to become CPAs. Prior to the 1960s, few white-owned accounting firms employed African Americans. Only through nationwide networks established by the first black CPAs did more African Americans gain the requisite professional experience. The civil rights era saw some progress in integrating the field, and black colleges responded by expanding their programs in business and accounting. In the 1980s, however, the backlash against affirmative action heralded the decline of African American participation in accountancy and paved the way for the astonishing lack of diversity that characterizes the field today.
This book, first published in 1988, analyses the early development of the US public accounting profession. It gathers in one place writings – contemporary accounts, recollections and historical studies – that portray the early decades of the profession. It is a key book for students of the early development of the US accounting profession.
Dieses Buch befasst sich mit einem topaktuellen und gleichzeitig umstrittenen Thema: die Praktiken von Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaften und der Ruf nach umfassenden Reformen. Die ganze Brisanz dieses Themas wird am Beispiel des Prozesses gegen Arthur Anderson im Fall Enron nur zu deutlich, und die Situation für Wirtschaftsprüfer und ihre Klienten wird zunehmend brenzliger. Anhand von Interviews mit über 100 Hauptakteuren der Prüfungsbranche geht Autor Mike Brewster auf wichtige Gesprächsrunden und Ereignisse ein, die die Weiterentwicklung der Rolle des Wirtschaftsprüfers - weg von der reinen Prüfungspraxis und hin zu Consulting- und Researchaktivitäten bis zu Anlagetipps - deutlich belegen. "Unaccountable" zeichnet die faszinierende Verwandlung des Wirtschaftsprüfers nach, der einst als unabhängige Stimme im Auftrag der Aktionäre handelte und sich mittlerweile in einen Finanzberater für seine Unternehmensklientel verwandelt hat. Mike Brewster hat Kontakt zu einigen der stärksten Befürworter von Reformen sowie zu Brancheninsidern, wie z.B. Arthur Levitt, Harvey Pitt, Sandy Weill und den Vertretern der Großen 5 Wirtschaftsprüfungsunternehmen in den USA. Er stellt unbequeme Fragen und enthüllt dabei den großen Einflussbereich von Prüfern in Vorstandsetage, Wirtschaft und Politik. Denn Prüfer gehen heute lieber ihren Consultingaktivitäten nach als der Rechnungsprüfung; und die Großen 5 sind mehr damit beschäftigt, Prozesse zu führen als an der Verbesserung ihrer Prüfungen zu arbeiten. "Unaccountable" - Dieses Buch diskutiert die wirklich wichtigen Themen, beschreibt Möglichkeiten der Reform und erläutert die Auswirkungen, die diese auf Investoren und die Öffentlichkeit haben werden.
This book, first published in 1988, is a readable, concise history of the accounting profession in the US from its beginnings to the late twentieth century. It examines the roots of the profession, how it developed, how its standards have evolved, and what social, economic and legal forces have shaped it. The chapters form a series of dramatic highlights, illustrative of the multifarious problems besetting a young profession, catapulted into prominence by the economic and social forces of the twentieth century.
The United Dutch East India Company was the first public company, preceding the formation of the English East-India Company by over 40 years. Its fame as the first public company which heralded the transition from feudalism to modern capitalism and its remarkable financial success for nearly two centuries ensure its importance in the history of capitalism. Although a publicly owned, highly complex and diversified business, and commonly agreed to be the largest and most profitable business in the 17th century, throughout its existence the Dutch East-India Company never produced public accounts of its financial affairs which would have allowed investors to judge the performance of the Company. Its financial accounting, which changed little during its lifetime, was not designed as an aid to rational investment decision-making by communicating the Company’s financial performance but to be a means of promoting sound stewardship by senior management. This study examines the contributions of accounting to the remarkable success of the Dutch East-India Company and the influences on these accounting practices. From the time that the German economic historian Werner Sombart proposed that accounting techniques, most especially double-entry bookkeeping, were critical to the development of modern capitalism and the public company, historians and accounting scholars have debated the extent and importance of these contributions. The Dutch East-India Company was a capitalistic enterprise that had a public, permanent capital and its principal objective was to continually increase profit by reinvesting its returns in the business. Rather than the organisation and management of the Dutch East-India Company reflecting the perceived benefits of a particular bookkeeping method, the supremacy that it achieved and maintained in a very hazardous business at a time of recurring conflict between European states was a consequence of the practicalities of 17th century business and The Netherlands’ unique, threatening natural environment which shaped its social and political institutions.
Accounting is frequently portrayed as a value free mechanism for allocating resources and ensuring they are employed in the most efficient manner. Contrary to this popular opinion, the research presented in Accounting at War demonstrates that accounting for military forces is primarily a political practice. Throughout history, military force has been so pervasive that no community of any degree of complexity has succeeded in. Through to the present day, for all nation states, accounting for the military and its operations has primarily served broader political purposes. From the Crimean War to the War on Terror, accounting has been used to assert civilian control over the military, instill rational business practices on war, and create the visibilities and invisibilities necessary to legitimize the use of force. Accounting at War emphasizes the significant power that financial and accounting controls gave to political elites and the impact of these controls on military performance. Accounting at War examines the effects of these controls in wars such as the Crimean, South African and Vietnam wars. Accounting at War also emphasizes how accounting has provided the means to rationalize and normalize violence, which has often contributed to the acceleration and expansion of war. Aimed at researchers and academics in the fields of accounting, accounting history, political management and sociology, Accounting at War represents a unique and critical perspective to this cutting-edge research field.
