Sites of translation in digital reporting

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse the process by which “analogue” corporate reports produced under a “paper paradigm” are translated into a machine language as required by digital reporting. The paper uses Austin and Searle’s linguistic speech act theory to examine how digitally translating reporting information into atomised data affects the infrastructure and practice of accounting. Design/methodology/approach Extensive interview and observation evidence focussed on the IFRS Foundation’s digital reporting project is analysed. An interpretive approach is informed by the concepts of L compatibility, illocution and perlocutionary acts which are drawn from speech act theory. Findings Two key sites of translation are identified. The first site concerns the translation of accounting standards, principles and practices into taxonomies for digital tagging. Controversies arise over the definition of accounting concepts in a site populated by accounting and IT-orientated experts. The second site of translation is in the routine production and dissemination of digital reports which impacts the L compatibility between preparers and users. Originality/value The paper highlights a previously unexplored field of translation in accounting and contributes a unique perspective that demonstrates that machine translation is no longer marginalised but is the “primary” text with effects on the infrastructure and practice of accounting. It extends speech act theory by applying it to the digital domain and in the context of translation between languages.

Language and translation in accounting: a scandal of silence and displacement?

“…The contributions to this AAAJ special issue also demonstrated that there is much still to be done for us as a community to begin to comprehend and address the impact of language and translation on our innovative and (hopefully) more inclusive knowledge creation endeavors. Thus, there is a considerable scope for the exploration of the power implications of language skills, and of the use of ELF, in diverse settings (Detzen and Loehlein, 2018;Evans, 2018b;Kamla and Komori, 2018;Locke et al, 2018;Marini et al, 2018). Several papers also draw attention to the opportunities relating to the agency, power (or lack of power), standing and motives of the translator and the interests in and politics of decision making in translation (see, especially, Ejiogu and Ejiogu, 2018;Evans, 2018b;Kamla and Komori, 2018;Nobes and Stadler, 2018).…”

“…The benefits of and opportunities inherent in drawing on linguistic theories, and collaboration with scholars in language sciences, are emphasized by Locke et al (2018), Hayoun (2018), and Bassnett et al (2018), while Evans (2018b) points out that, for example, the cultural turn in translation studies is highly relevant to accounting, and that there is considerable scope also to learn from and collaborate with scholars in international business/management, and organization studies, where considerable advances have been made in language and translation research. Evans (2018b) also suggests that researchers may further extend the use of commonly applied approachessuch as hermeneutics, constructivism, game theory and deconstructionto language translation in accounting.…”

“…A more critical assessment of the potential of XBRL to overcome translation problems is provided by Locke et al (2018). Drawing also on Searle (1989) and Searle and Vanderveken (1985), as well as Austin (1961) and Locke et al (2018), explore, like Nobes and Stadler (2018), two sites of translation: the translation of IFRS, and the production of corporate reports. IFRS and other pronouncements are first translated into "taxonomies that can be digitally tagged" (p. 1981), and corporate reports are translated from analogue to digital form.…”

“…(Hoogervorst, 2012) As in translation across natural languages, translation and interpretation of XBRL is confronted with the problem of (non-)equivalence, and the need for context. Locke et al (2018) suggest that the difficulty in choosing the correct tag is confirmed by the frequent, and fundamental, errors made in XBRL reports filed in the USA. The shortage of individuals with expertise in both domainsaccounting and ITmeans that the topic remains underexplored, and may also result in a situation where "the accountant and others involved in the design and production of what remains conceptually an 'analogue' report no longer control the presentation of the data that the user receives" (p. 2006).…”

55 years of Abacus: Evolution of Research Streams and Future Research Directions

“…While grappling with the impacts of the pandemic, the accounting and finance area has been confronted with numerous other challenges, such as those related to longer term threats like climate change and the integration of TCFD (Task Force on Climate‐related Financial Disclosures) reporting (e.g., O'Dwyer and Unerman, 2020). Other issues with direct impact for the discipline include the increasing use of cloud accounting software, shifts to remote working and the greater use of AI, blockchain applications and digital technologies (such as automated data extraction and processing and fraud detection) (see also Cai, forthcoming; Locke et al ., 2018, Troshani et al ., 2019), alongside additional challenges around data security and control (e.g., Haapamäki and Sihvonen, 2019).…”