Purpose – this paper investigated the development of accounting profession in Kuwait by examining the processes involved in creating, maintaining and disrupting the development of accounting profession in Kuwait.Design/methodology/approach – this paper adopted a qualitative case study to examine the institutional work associated with the development of accounting profession in the State of Kuwait. The study employed semi-structured interviews and analysis of documents to generate insights into the institutional work involved in the development of accounting profession in Kuwait.Findings – the studies revealed political, technical and cultural institutional work engaged by various actors, individually and collectively in the creation, maintenance, and disruption of the development of accounting profession in Kuwait. The British imperialists, the Asians, Egyptians, other Arabs, the state actors, professional accountants in foreign accounting firms, and local actors in the Kuwait Accounting and Auditing Association, all engaged in various institutional work in the creation and transformation of the accounting profession in Kuwait.Practical implications – this paper demonstrates how different types of institutional work influence the development of institutions. Also, it brings to the table how some forms of institutional work could be deployed to counteract others in “creating”, “maintaining”, and “disrupting” the institutions.Originality/value – the paper adds to extant literature on institutional work, in which it has been realized that “denial” of training could be construed as an institutional work, in which theorization and rhetorical appeals are used to privilege one group of actors over others; and how “political” institutional work seemed to dominate the creation, maintenance and disruption of institutions within a wider social setting in Kuwait.

The study aimed to examine the impact of audit software on audit quality in Saudi Arabia and explore auditors' opinions on this topic. The research methodology used was a survey research design, which allowed for collecting large amounts of data from a broad range of participants. The findings indicated that audit software positively impacted audit quality, and auditor expertise moderated the relationship between audit software usage and audit quality. The study highlights the importance of auditor training in effectively using audit software, and the results have significant implications for audit practice in Saudi Arabia. The study's practical implications suggest that audit firms should invest in technology, particularly advanced audit software, to enhance audit quality and meet the demands of clients seeking more efficient and effective audit services. As the business environment becomes increasingly complex and dynamic, auditors must keep pace with emerging technologies to deliver high-quality audit services. The results of this study provide valuable insights into the factors that influence the adoption of technology in the audit industry in Saudi Arabia and highlight the importance of integrating technology into audit processes to improve audit quality. However, it should be noted that the study's findings are based on the auditors' subjective perceptions, and future research should use more objective measures to assess audit quality.

The purpose of the paper was to investigate the socio-economic and political processes that influenced Kuwait’s budget reforms in the wake of declining oil prices. A qualitative study and a literature review were adopted and informed by political economy theory to generate in-depth insights into similar and different socio-economic and political processes that influenced the adoption and implementation of a range of budget reforms in Kuwait. The study revealed that the budget reforms in Kuwait, as part of the austerity measures, were influenced by the dwindling oil revenues; the entrenched welfare system; the power struggles between the state actors; and the strategic partnerships and coercive role of supranational agencies, especially in creating an enabling environment for global capitalism. The paper demonstrates how the socio-economic and political environment influences and is influenced by the strategic accounting choices and practices adopted and implemented. Budget reforms in Kuwait were proposed to address the socio-economic and political realities of the day, but also, the reforms prepared fertile grounds to support global capitalism. The paper contributes to the debate on the political economy and how it is relevant in understanding the socio-economic and political processes involved in the adoption and implementation of accounting changes, especially in developing countries.

This study seeks to measure the microeconomic consequences of the adoption of the Accounting and Auditing Organisation for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI) standards on the conservatism, financial performance (FP), and earnings management (EM) of Islamic banks (IBs). The study draws on data from 122 IBs across 22 countries over a period of eight years (2014–2021), using the generalised method of moments (GMM). The results indicate a positive impact of AAOIFI adoption on financial performance and conservatism compared to non-adopters. Our results further show that IBs that adopt AAOIFI are less involved in EM. After applying robustness checks (corporate governance, inflation, and mandatory adoption of AAOIFI in some countries), our results remain the same. The implications of the study are potentially valuable for those setting accounting standards (such as AAOIFI and International Accounting Standards Board (IASB)), central banks, financial market regulators, investors, governments, and any adopting or non-adopting Islamic financial institutions (IFIs) through identification of the effects of AAOIFI adoption.