On hypocrisy,the phronemos,and kitsch: A reply to our commentators

The commentators expressed a number of concerns regarding our paper and they provided useful insights by reframing our findings from a more exacting Kunderian perspective as well as from yet other, theoretical points-of-view. In our reply we address the three commentaries in turn, and we do so using a Kunderian lens. We conclude by highlighting a number of useful research directions to which the commentators alert us.     

A ‘panoptical’ or ‘synoptical’ approach to monitoring performance? Local public services in England and the widening accountability gap

This article highlights how recent reforms to the auditing and assessment of local public services in England suggest there will be a shift from panoptical to ‘synoptical’ monitoring approaches. This is because the UK Government has abolished its centralised monitoring regime and instead required local authorities to publish a range of financial and performance datasets online, ostensibly so that citizens can hold organisations to account directly. However, the complexity and raw nature of these data, along with the sidelining of professional auditors, will result in most citizens being either unable or unwilling to undertake this task. As such, the proposed ‘synoptical’ approach will not materialise. Indeed, other legislative changes will mean that outsourcing firms effectively become the new, unaccountable observers of local public sector bodies within an enduring panoptical system. In many cases these companies will then assume responsibility for delivering the same services that they have assessed.     

Commentary on Bryer's “Conscious practices and purposive action: A qualitative study of accounting and social change”

This paper seeks to provide a general and informative commentary on Rose Bryer's paper, “Conscious practices and purposive action: A qualitative study of accounting and social change” (2011), which explores the role of accounting in the specific setting of empresas recuperadas (ERs). ERs (reclaimed enterprises) are businesses that have been brought back into operations as a cooperative by the workers when they were thought to be bankrupt. The commentary presented here focuses primarily on Bryer, but also discusses additional elements that may shed light on the unique phenomenon of ERs. As case studies, ERs provide an ideal context in which to research accounting change and test critical perspectives in accounting. This commentary focuses on the particularities of the socioeconomic environment that became the fertile ground of ERs, while also offering a long-term view of the phenomenon ten years after it was initiated. In particular, it undertakes a comparison between the initial situation and the situation in 2012. The commentary makes two key arguments: first, that accounting is an instrumental technology; and second, that the constructs that existed in 2001 have evolved significantly—and have even become partially obsolete—as diverse management forms emerged in successful ERs. This evolution is analyzed along five dimensions: (1) hierarchical organization; (2) property rights and the concept of profit; (3) community action and its links with access to financial resources; (4) the duality of members and non-members; and (5) the role of accounting reporting and discourse.     

Organizational legitimacy,conflict, and hypocrisy: An alternative view of the role of internal auditing

This article provides a commentary on Everett and Tremblay's (2014) analysis of ethics and internal audit by further exploring the role of the internal audit function within Nils Brunsson's model of organized hypocrisy (Brunsson, 1986, Brunsson, 1993, Brunsson, 2002). Specifically, we extend Everett and Tremblay's discussion of internal auditors as ‘moral’ actors and propose that the counter-coupling of an organization's primary outputs–talk, decision and action–provides internal auditors with the necessary tools to carry out conflicting ethical roles within the organization.     

Implementing sustainable purchasing and supply management (SPSM): A Delphi study on competences needed by purchasing and supply management (PSM) professionals

This research is about a Delphi study that was conducted in the context of the development of a competence model for sustainable purchasing and supply management (SPSM). Based on the findings of a systematic literature review (SLR), it addresses the research gap in this area with the aim to foster the integration of sustainability in purchasing and supply management (PSM) in higher education and in professional training approaches for PSM professionals. The qualitative study was conducted with 16 Delphi experts in the field of PSM and sustainability, applying the critical incident technique (CIT). Together with the findings of the SLR, it led to a specific set of SPSM competences. The theoretical background is based on PSM research, educational sciences and organizational psychology.     

Testing for a unique equilibrium in applied general equilibrium models

This paper introduces a new and computationally inexpensive method to test for uniqueness of equilibrium in exchange economies.     

Changing EU agricultural policy discourses? The discourse analysis of Commissioner’s speeches 2000–2007

This paper is a combination of political economy and critical discourse analysis of public texts about the common agricultural policy (CAP) by concerned agents and the EU’s agricultural Commissioner in the period of November, 2004 until October, 2007. The analysis reveals how concerned agents articulated three competing discourses (neomercantilism, multifunctionality, and neoliberalism). It also shows that elements of the discourse of neoliberalism in the Commissioner’s speeches, despite her use of different discourses for different audiences, are becoming more and more important in order to facilitate further reforms and liberalisation of the CAP.     

加强文学批评理论教学,深化英美文学教学改革

英美文学课的教学与文学批评理论(下称文论)有着密切的关系。在文学课教学中,文论对文学作品的理解和欣赏起着指导作用。然而,长期以来传统的文学教学忽视了文论教学的存在。失去了文论的指导,文学教学失去了它应有的活力,因此,在英美文学教学过程中,要加强文论教学。     

Uncovering Critical Success Factors for Business-to-Customer Electronic Commerce in Travel Agencies

Economic growth and information technology development has stimulated customer demand for foreign travel. In an intensely competitive and dynamic travel market, it is necessary for travel agencies to adopt innovative forms of information technology in order to survive and flourish. Travel executives are thus looking for an effective and efficient means to intelligently manage business-to-customer electronic commerce (B2C e-commerce) information technology applications in order to obtain and maintain sustainable competitive advantages. To this end, this study applies the multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM) method to examine consumer adoption of e-commerce. The results show that the critical success factors are associated with product information (product context) and system security (system context)—such as product content, privacy policy, purchase procedure, and product pricing. It is anticipated that by focusing on these key drivers when creating their main marketing strategies, travel agencies will be able to develop and facilitate B2C e-commerce transactions.