The professional reference group in the opinions of Polish accountants who prepare financial reporting information

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to present professional reference groups that exist in accountants' minds. These groups are the source of values, norms, and behaviours. Methodology/approach: The qualitative research was conducted in the form of in-depth interviews with 38 accountants with at least three years of professional experience in ac-counting offices or who were in charge of preparing financial information in non-financial entities. Findings: The respondents' opinions indicate the presence of three dimensions that constitute the basis for identifying the professional reference groups: 1) positive and negative, 2) a group of older (more experienced) and younger (less experienced) account-ants, and 3) different perceptions of accountants who work in accounting service offices and those employed in accounting departments in non-financial entities. The identified reference groups are both normative and comparative, although the normative aspect seems to dominate. Research limitations/implications: Limitations of the study result from the method used (qualitative research) and the characteristics of the respondents, who were account-ants working in Poland. Moreover, the reference groups were identified only in terms of professional reference groups, disregarding broader social reference groups. Originality/value: The article describes the first study to identify reference groups among accountants, which opens a new dimension to behavioral research in accounting.