Recent developments in the accounting profession in New Zealand: A case of deprofessionalization?

Towards market differentiation in the accounting profession: The case of Australia and New Zealand

“…In current society there are other credentialing sources in the field of accounting, principally the universities, which have also become the major depositories of accounting knowledge, making the apprenticeship only one aspect of professional training. This has resulted in the profession losing its monopoly over accounting knowledge (Velayutham & Perera, 1996), which is essential to occupational closure. A principal reason attributed to the formation of professions in the British Commonwealth has been the system of government in Britain in the 19th and in the first half of the 20th Century, which had an informal "corporate bias" (Middlemas, 1980, p. 383), in which employer associations, trade unions, and other groups assumed the status of "governing institutions" as opposed to mere pressure groups.…”

The impact of globalization on professional accounting firms: Evidence from New Zealand

“…Previous studies of the professional body noted that it underwent major changes in the late twentieth century. These included the loss of its monopoly over the term "accountant", loss of the sole right to set accounting standards, and the introduction of several levels of membership (Velayutham & Perera, 1996). These changes were consistent with deregulation of the New Zealand economy (Perera et al, 2001); and with a trend to de-professionalization identified in the literature (Velayutham & Perera, 1996).…”

“…These included the loss of its monopoly over the term "accountant", loss of the sole right to set accounting standards, and the introduction of several levels of membership (Velayutham & Perera, 1996). These changes were consistent with deregulation of the New Zealand economy (Perera et al, 2001); and with a trend to de-professionalization identified in the literature (Velayutham & Perera, 1996). In addition, these events represented a change from the profession seeking occupational closure and control over entry to establish a monopoly, to seeking recognition as a brand and aiming to achieve market differentiation (Velayutham & Rahman, 2000).…”

Professionalism in accounting: a five-factor model of ethical decision-making

“…The functionalist approach focuses on the professional’s ability to apply specialized knowledge that is in the public’s interest. In exchange, the profession is allowed to self-regulate, controlling both entry into the profession through education and certification, as well as disciplining its members for failure to adhere to codes of ethics (Islam and Dellaportas, 2011; Schafer et al , 2002; Velayutham and Perera, 1996).…”