The influence of neoliberal economics on small business accounting research: A critical evaluation of agendas and methodologies

Abstract

This article contributes to current debates on agendas and methodologies in small business research by critiquing small business accounting research paradigms within the context of contemporary neoliberal economic policy. Published research is critically examined; it is then argued that a hegemonic neoliberal economic discourse of entrepreneurship has resulted in a narrow research focus and a restricted use of methodologies. We suggest that there is both an economic and an epistemological rationale for more research which focuses on the broader social and political context of accounting within small businesses, rather than a narrow focus on accounting's role in business growth. The question of appropriate methodology for future research is raised. The limitations of a predominantly quantitative, survey-based and normative approach are discussed and the potential benefits of alternative methodologies are explored.

Identifying Trends and Opportunities in Small Business Research: A Review of Articles in the Small Business Institute Journal, 2008-2019

“…The issues that small businesses must confront are highly specific and emerge from various factors the entity must address before progressing on to a new or different stage of operation. In other words, small and medium sized enterprise (SME) issues are not generalizable under broad topics that may define academic journal niches (Parry, 2015). In contrast, SMEs face immediate issues needing immediate attention before using limited resources (i.e.…”

“…One of the problems facing the small-business researcher is that small business and certain business-related subject areas, such as accounting and finance, are typically seen as separate fields of study, with the small business regarded as unfruitful environment for meaningful research (Parry, 2015). Although certain aspects of small business research will be the same internationally, the respective prevalence of certain kinds of research is obviously jurisdictionally dependent due to data availability and differences in the regulatory framework for such entities.…”

“…Accounting and finance functions have changed in the last decade and will continue to do so given the disruptive characteristics of Big Data, data analytics, and AI (Vasarhelyi et al, 2015;Warren et al, 2015). More importantly, though, is the qualities of change impacting SME accounting func- (Parry, 2015). Rather, it may be that a mix of quantitative and qualitative approaches are more suitable for the complexly intertwined element of SMEs, owners, and customers (Jarvis et al, 2000).…”