Qualitative researchers may struggle to organise face-to-face interviews, because of Covid19-related travel restrictions and budget constraints. Online interviews are a viable alternative. Read all about the opportunities and how to deal with the challenges in the following paper, which is available at https://doi.org/10.1108/MEDAR-03-2021-1252  

Covid-19 restrictions have severely impacted access to the traditional data and data sources used by qualitative researchers. Charl de Villiers and I discuss the changes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the corresponding challenges and opportunities of conducting qualitative research in accounting.  We show how COVID-19 pandemic is reshaping some of the traditional research methods, practices and techniques in qualitative accounting research. Particularly, academic researchers who are reluctant to use the new technologies need to adapt their research approach, deal with the new challenges and exploit the opportunities to conduct research in a COVID-19 environment. Some changes in research methods,…

Happy to share an article developed with Jonida Carungu and published in Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal!  Our paper explores the stereotype of the accountant in Florentine medieval popular culture based on literary works and from a historical perspective. We aim to highlight how stereotypes change with time and represent the cultural and historical evolution of a society.  We show the change of the accountant stereotype from the medieval age to the Renaissance. The Divine Comedy mainly connotes a negative accountant stereotype. The 14th century's Florentine gentlemen (“i galantuomini”) are apparently positive characters, with an ordered and clean aspect, but they…

Happy to share a paper published in Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal, and developed with Charl de  Villiers during my visiting period at The University of Auckland, New Zealand.  Our paper aims at understanding how communication strategies and the use of numbers can ensure the buy-in and cooperation of stakeholders by drawing on legitimacy theory.  We find that clear, consistent and credible communications, backed up by open access to the numerical data that underlie the decisions, ensure that these decisions are seen as legitimate, ensure that citizens/stakeholders feel leaders are accountable and believe in the necessity of measures taken and that…

Glad to share a paper co-authored with Jonida Carungu and Roberto Di Pietra, and published in Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal! The purpose of our paper is to investigate how COVID-19 shapes the working approach of accountants by using an action research approach. This research is motivated by the call for more in-depth analyses of how COVID-19 affects the work, role and human condition of accountants. We find that the contingent shock embodies both a reactive and adaptive approach in the accountants' professional work. From a theoretical perspective, our study identifies nine contingent phases related to shock.  Based on the…