On affect and accounting inscriptions: a study of fair value in the making

Purpose This paper aims to theorize the role of affect in shaping accounting numbers by studying accountants who specialize in the production of fair value measurements for intangibles. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on interviews with valuation specialists employed by public accounting firms, I investigate the circulation of affect in fair value measurement networks. While prior studies stress the coordinative potential of affect, I focus on affective clashes, as well as on the associations that are drawn between the specialists and other actors in response to these clashes. Findings The findings suggest that affect impacts the stability of accounting inscriptions, in that it plays a significant role in both the destabilization and the ultimate stabilization of valuation networks. Practical implications The proposed reframing of valuation work may allow regulators and other stakeholders to consider issues beyond pure cognitive bias and to recognize that interrelational affect is materially implicated – both favourably and unfavourably – in valuation outcomes. Originality/value The study reframes the issue of fair value measurement as one of stabilizing value inscriptions through clashes of passionate interests, rather than one of reducing individual bias at the valuator level. In addition, the study refines the concept of stability in actor-network theory by considering its significant interrelations with the affective dimension of networks and discusses certain issues in the current fair value literature.