The Coming Crisis in Accounting

In this book, Belkaoui turns his attention to significant problems he sees facing the accounting profession as a whole and examines their effects on the way accounting is practiced, on accountants' clients, and on business in general. The problems derive, Belkaoui explains, from new developments in the accounting environment including the organizational climate in CPA firms and the rising incidence of fraudulent cases. Arguing that these problems, if not resolved, will lead to a crisis of confidence in accounting and increasing government regulation of the profession, Belkaoui both identifies their causes and proposes solutions to avert a crisis in the field.

The book is divided into six chapters, each of which addresses a particular problem in contemporary accounting. Belkaoui begins by describing a new conflictual order in the accounting environment and goes on to examine particular conflicts generated by the profession's heavy reliance on credentialism, its role in the fragmentation of services in CPA firms, and its tenuous position in the courts. The following chapters show how the credibility of accounting has been shaken by fraudulent cases and explores ways in which the accounting work process has declined. Finally, Belkaoui explores problems associated with the high levels of job dissatisfaction and turnover in CPA firms and problems in the production of accounting knowledge. Students of accounting as well as practicing professionals will find both a sobering assessment of current accounting practices and an illuminating look at potential solutions.