Management accounting
The management accounting group has a long and important tradition of research and engagement with practice. The strength of its research is in its interdisciplinarity and diversity, but within a core focus on the study of management accounting as a social and organisational practice.
The group's research covers a broad range of practices (costing, management control, performance evaluation, compensation systems, pricing, budgeting, as well as management accounting for sustainability), from various theoretical and methodological perspectives, and with interests in a range of organizational and institutional settings.
These include social movements, platform organizations, worker cooperatives, NGOs, Indigenous-led organizations, as well as private and publicly listed firms and public institutions. The group also engages in impact related work, particularly concerning sustainability in business.
Group members have published in leading accounting journals such as Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Accounting and Business Research, Accounting, Organizations and Society, British Accounting Review, Contemporary Accounting Research, Critical Perspectives on Accounting, European Accounting Review, Financial Accountability and Management, Management Accounting Research, Organisation Studies and The Accounting Review. The group also publishes beyond academic journals in books (e.g. Handbook of Management Accounting Research) as well as reports for professional associations.
Group members maintain close links to accountancy professional bodies (e.g. CIMA and HFMA) and academic associations (e.g. EIASM). They serve as editors or editorial board members of journals such as Accounting, Organizations and Society, Critical Perspectives on Accounting and Management Accounting Research.
The group run an intense research event programme, including an internal brownbag series, engagement events with practitioners (e.g., via the Bristol Centre for Management Accounting Research (BRICMAR) workshop series) and international research collaborations with other schools (e.g., via the Bristol-Kyoto Qualitative Account Research workshop series).
The Management Accounting Research Group hosts a hybrid workshop series in collaboration with Kyoto University, dedicated to advancing international dialogue and collaboration in management accounting research. Launched in Bristol in March 2019, the workshop provides a dynamic platform for sharing insights, discussing and developing research papers, and promoting qualitative research in management accounting. Over the years, the series has grown into a global forum, attracting distinguished participants from universities across UK, Europe, Australia, China, and beyond. Today, the workshop continues to be committed to fostering a vibrant international community of scholars dedicated to advancing the frontiers of management accounting research. Please feel free to get in touch with the organisers - Dr Chiara Bottausci and Dr Gary (Guanlin) Wang – if you would like to participate to the workshop!
The Management Accounting Research Group hosts an annual engagement event as part of the Bristol Centre for Management Accounting Research (BRICMAR) workshop series. Supported by professional bodies such as the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), the event provides a valuable platform for knowledge exchange between academics and practitioners in the field of management accounting.
The 2025 BRICMAR Workshop focused on the theme “How Emerging Technologies Are Reshaping Management Accounting.” The workshop explored how innovations such as artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and digitalisation are transforming management accounting practices, and considered the opportunities and challenges these developments present for professionals and organisations alike.
Bringing together thought leaders from academia and industry, the BRICMAR workshop continues to foster meaningful dialogue, collaboration, and forward-thinking research at the intersection of practice and theory of management accounting.
The Management Accounting Research Group organises a vibrant programme of seminars and annual lectures that bring together leading scholars and emerging researchers from around the world. Through its seminar series, the Group regularly welcomes distinguished guest speakers whose work is shaping the field of management accounting today. The annual lecture provides a unique opportunity to engage with influential voices driving innovation and thought leadership in management accounting, as well as in interdisciplinary research and practice.
The 2025–26 Annual Lecture, co-organised with the Bristol Digital Futures Institute (BDFI) and Work Futures, will feature Professor Marion Fourcade, whose pioneering research explores the intersection of technology, data, and society.