Technological Articles: Research and Production in Accounting and Business

Abstract

The presence of Accounting as a trust-building element in society at large—and in the economic environment in particular—has been evidenced for thousands of years. It is an undeniable fact that, over time, societal and business demands have increasingly required Accounting to play a more intense role in ensuring the sound functioning of processes and the proper execution of transactions in an ever more complex environment in which entities operate. As a discipline within the Applied Social Sciences, Accounting finds itself directly and thoroughly embedded in a highly dynamic social context. The diligent evaluation of facts and phenomena throughout history demonstrates, with great fidelity, the role played by Accounting and its professionals. As with other professions that are highly engaged with social structures and the entities that comprise them, scientific findings (and the cumulative body of scientific knowledge) exist within the bounds of reality. In this context, explanations of phenomena—or even predictive reflections regarding various factors—are systematically supported by data grounded in facts and actions intrinsically connected to reality, notably involving markets, entities, governance or regulatory structures, normative and legal frameworks, as well as stakeholders and trust agents (preparers and assurers).