The impact of academic accounting research on professional practice An analysis by the AAA Research Impact Task Force

• Published in: Accounting horizons Vol. 23; no. 4; pp. 411 - 456
• Main Authors: Moehrle, Stephen R, Anderson, Kirsten L, Ayres, Frances L, Bolt-Lee, Cynthia E, Debreceny, Roger S, Dugan, Michael T, Hogan, Chris E, Maher, Michael W, Plummer, Elizabeth
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sarasota American Accounting Association 01.12.2009
• Subjects: Academic discipline; Accountancy; Accountants; Accounting; Accounting research; Accounting theory; Auditing; Betrieb; Betriebswirtschaft; Built-in gains & losses; Capital assets; Capital markets; Corporate taxes; Costs; Critical thinking; Curricula; Curriculum development; Earnings management; Economics; Efficiency; Fair value; Financial accounting; Financial reporting; Financial restatements; Financial statement analysis; Foreign tax credits; Graduate studies; Hochschulforschung; Information systems; Medical profession; Rechnungswesen; Regulation; Studies; Task forces; Tax credits; Tax reform; Taxation; Textbooks; Treasuries; Unaudited financial statements; USA
• ISSN: 0888-7993; 1558-7975
• DOI: 10.2308/acch.2009.23.4.411

SYNOPSIS: The accounting academy has been long recognized as the premier developer of entry-level talent for the accounting profession and the major provider of executive education via master’s-level curricula and customized executive education courses. However, the impact that the academy’s collective ideas have had on the efficiency and effectiveness of practice has been less recognized. In this paper, we summarize key contributions of academic accounting research to practice in financial accounting, auditing, tax, regulation, managerial accounting, and information systems. Our goal is to increase awareness of the effects of academic accounting research. We believe that if this impact is more fully recognized, the practitioner community will be even more willing to invest in academe and help universities address the escalating costs of training and retaining doctoral-trained research faculty. Furthermore, we believe that this knowledge will attract talented scholars into the profession. To this end, we encourage our colleagues to refer liberally to research successes such as those cited in this paper in their classes, in their textbooks, and in their presentations to nonacademic audiences.