Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the phenomenon of Big Data and corporate reporting, and to determine the impact of Big Data and the current Big Data state of mind with regard to corporate reporting, what accountant and non-accountant participants’ perceptions are of the phenomenon, what the accountants’ role is and will be in this regard, and what opportunities and risks are associated with Big Data and corporate reporting. Furthermore, this study seeks to identify the inherent technological paradoxes of Big Data and corporate reporting. Design/methodology/approach The current study is qualitative in nature and assumes an interpretive stance, investigating participants’ perceptions of the phenomenon of Big Data and corporate reporting. To this end, interview data from 25 participants, video and text material, were analysed to enhance and triangulate findings. A four-fold sampling strategy was employed to ensure that any collected data would contribute to the findings. Data were analysed on the basis of open and selective coding stages. Data collection and analysis took place in two stages, in 2014 and in 2016. Findings Three topics, or categories, emerged from the data analysis, which have sufficient explanatory power to illustrate the phenomenon of Big Data and corporate reporting, namely the Big Data state of mind and corporate reporting, accountants’ role and future related to Big Data, and perceived opportunities and risks of Big Data. Features of a new approach to corporate reporting were identified and discussed. Furthermore, four paradoxes emerged to express inherent opposing positions of Big Data and corporate reporting, namely empowerment vs enslavement, fulfilling vs creating needs, reliability vs timeliness and simplicity vs complexity. Originality/value The original contribution of the study lies in the empirical investigation of the phenomenon of Big Data and corporate reporting as one of the most recent and praised developments in the accounting context. The dual communication flows of corporate reporting with Big Data is an important element of the findings, which can enhance the prospective financial statements significantly. Finally, technological paradoxes of Big Data and corporate reporting are discussed for the first time, two of which are based on the literature and the remaining two are inherent in the phenomenon of Big Data and corporate reporting.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the link between integrated thinking (IT) and integrated reporting (IR) in a global player. It seeks to shed light on how IT develops organically, using their IR as a source. Bourdieu’s theory of practice is utilised to explain the concept of IT and how it is established in the case organisation through publicly available corporate information. Design/methodology/approach Video, document/text and interview material are used to investigate the perception and status quo of IT at the case organisation. Data were analysed in two coding stages to derive at the categories/themes that have the most explanatory power regarding the phenomenon under study. Findings The study contributes the organisational habitus of handling uncertainty and disruption, which governs the IT and IR initiative and development in the case organisation. Furthermore, it illustrates an empirical example of how an organisation has grown its IT approach over time and has introduced IR as a result of that, as a reflection on the IT approach. Originality/value This paper investigates a global organisation, the first provider of an integrated report in their geographical region, and its IT and reporting approach. The findings reflect on the organisational habitus of handling uncertainty and disruption, which leads to IT and ultimately IR. The case organisation constitutes a “natural integrated thinker” in their agile asset-light approach to their business and their integration of stakeholders beyond the organisation. They are the regional vanguard of sustainability and integration, as a result of which they have become one of the few global players of their region.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the concept of strategic management accounting (SMA) in an English university. It is in search of and investigates SMA practices and processes, and their meaning to participants in an English university context. The higher education (HE) institution under research had gone through a major change a couple of years prior to this study, including implementation of new strategic management and management accounting practices.Design/methodology/approachThe approach taken is an interpretive one and the adopted methodology is grounded theory according to Glaser's evolved approach. Data collection took place largely through interviews and, where possible, participant observation.FindingsThe main findings of the research concern the core concept of the strategising mindset, which encapsulates the institutional, divisional and individual stance towards strategy and SMA. The strategising mindset is understood as the belief system that is adopted with regard to SMA, which is divided into a bureaucratic and an entrepreneurial mindset. According to the respective mindset, accounting for strategic management is dealt with and institutional members' perceptions of SMA are shaped. The particular mindset adopted depends on the context members were and are functioning, which reflects Bourdieu's theory of practice.Originality/valueThe main contributions are the emergent theoretical framework on SMA in HE, the concept of the strategising mindset and resulting views and conclusions on what SMA actually means in practice. To the authors' knowledge, no such theoretical framework has been published to date.

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