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The Centre for Accounting and Society (CAS) aims to improve understanding of how the accounting profession and various calculative practices impact organisations, culture and society.

Led by Professors Ingrid Jeacle, Paolo Quattrone and Stephen Walker, CAS will be supported by a diverse, interdisciplinary team of world-leading academics.

The centre will work closely with international accountancy bodies, professional service firms and governments to contribute to improved regulation and industry standards.

CAS’ research agenda will also underpin the continued development of the School’s internationally-renowned accounting and finance programmes.

Professor Ingrid Jeacle, said:

“Financial calculations shape the world around us, from the payslips we receive to how we interpret the national debt. Yet we still have a tendency to think of accountancy only in terms of the mundane calculative practices of ‘bean counters’.

“Through the Centre for Accounting and Society we seek to counter this perception to highlight its broader role in everyday life. We’ll consider accounting as a formative instrument of social control and its influence on everything from education and poverty-relief to household-family management.”

Professor Stephen Walker, said:

“The accountancy profession is arguably the most important occupational group in contemporary economy and society. Professional services alone contribute eight per cent of UK GDP and employ more than 11 per cent of the workforce – with considerable growth predicted in the future.

“But the profession is confronted by a number of issues – particularly in the wake of the financial crisis. CAS will critically reflect on modern accounting practice to consider how to rebuild public trust, tackle social inclusion and improve diversity in the profession.”

Professor Paolo Quattrone, said:

“The view of the accounting practice as a neutral and objective account of numbers on a balance sheet ignores the real value it can deliver in interrogating financial information, to improve judgement and organisational decision making.

“At a time when recurrent financial crises and corporate scandals continue to highlight the deep wide-reaching consequences of poor governance, CAS will explore how the value of financial calculations can be unlocked for economic and societal gain.