Hyndman, N and Liguori, M and Meyer, RE and Polzer, T and Rota, S and Seiwald, J and Steccolini, I (2018) 'Legitimating change in the public sector: the introduction of (rational?) accounting practices in the United Kingdom, Italy and Austria.' Public Management Review, 20 (9). 1374 - 1399. ISSN 1461-667X

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Abstract

This paper explores the deployment of rhetorical legitimation strategies during public-sector accounting reforms by investigating how organizational actors justify related changes in the central governments of the United Kingdom (UK), Italy and Austria. The study shows that changes are largely legitimated (and rarely delegitimated) by key actors, with authorization strategies dominating. Country differences and actors’ professional backgrounds also impact upon the use of legitimation strategies, with those from an accounting background and working in the UK being more likely to justify change in terms of rationalization and normalization. Italian and Austrian actors more frequently resort to authorization strategies to explain accounting change.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Legitimation strategies, accounting change, organizational change, central government
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HF Commerce > HF5601 Accounting
Divisions:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Essex Business School
Depositing User:	Elements
Date Deposited:	02 Oct 2018 09:07
Last Modified:	12 Apr 2019 01:00
URI:	http://repository.essex.ac.uk/id/eprint/21022

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