Extending Research on Accounting Regulation

The presentation highlights the importance of research on accounting and audit regulation and possible areas for development. My thoughts are grounded in a study (with Dasha Smirnow) of Canada's implementation of the Extractive Industries Transparency Index. I propose that accounting and management researchers incorporate insights from research in international regulation, notably recognizing the importance of the temporal dynamics between 'law on the books' and 'law in practice' (the recursivity of law), the importance of regulatory intermediaries (such as lawyers, auditors, and civil society organizations) and the significance of the managerialization of law. Notable recent work has recognized the need to go beyond simple 'capture' theories, the importance of the socio- economic context, the central role of regulatory staff and the shift to soft law. Our study introduces the idea of operationalization, a space between enactment and the implementation of rules and regulation and crucially highlights the dynamics of accounting regulation. JEL Codes: Keywords: Regulators, law on the books, law in practice, Canada