Advanced search
2 files | 1.56 MB Add to list

Small and medium-sized accounting practices (SMPs) : explaining financial performance based on human capital and organisational resources

(2024) ACCOUNTING IN EUROPE. 21(1). p.68-100
Author
Organization
Abstract
Small- and medium-sized accounting practices (SMPs) offer clients – small and medium-sized entities – support to comply with statutory services (financial statements, tax file preparation) and provide customised business advice. This paper investigates differences in SMP’s financial performance. A survey was sent to Belgian heads of SMPs, asking about personal characteristics regarding education and experience (representing human capital resources), firm size, service types provided, cooperation, and communication (representing organisational capital resources). The findings show that additional specialisation degrees, more experience, and more continuing professional development are linked with higher sales per employee. However, the advantage of additional specialisation degrees diminishes as experience increases. Cooperating with other service providers and using the phone as preferred communication method were also linked to higher financial performance. Finally, male-headed SMPs had higher sales per employee than female-headed ones. Female accountants focused more on their educational role, spending more time explaining the figures to clients.
Keywords
Finance, Accounting, Business and International Management, SMEs, small and medium-sized accounting firms, financial performance, experience, gender, BUSINESS ADVICE, EXTERNAL ACCOUNTANTS, FIRM SURVIVAL, DIVERSIFICATION, EDUCATION, GENDER, DETERMINANTS, CAPABILITIES, INDUSTRY, INTERNATIONALIZATION

Downloads

  • AAM.docx
    • full text (Accepted manuscript)
    • |
    • open access
    • |
    • ZIP archive
    • |
    • 225.48 KB
  • (...).pdf
    • full text (Published version)
    • |
    • UGent only
    • |
    • PDF
    • |
    • 1.34 MB

Citation

Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:

MLA
Verplancke, Frederik, et al. “Small and Medium-Sized Accounting Practices (SMPs) : Explaining Financial Performance Based on Human Capital and Organisational Resources.” ACCOUNTING IN EUROPE, vol. 21, no. 1, 2024, pp. 68–100, doi:10.1080/17449480.2023.2241871.
APA
Verplancke, F., De Bruyckere, S., Everaert, P., Coppens, C., & Blondeel, E. (2024). Small and medium-sized accounting practices (SMPs) : explaining financial performance based on human capital and organisational resources. ACCOUNTING IN EUROPE, 21(1), 68–100. https://doi.org/10.1080/17449480.2023.2241871
Chicago author-date
Verplancke, Frederik, Stefanie De Bruyckere, Patricia Everaert, Carine Coppens, and Eva Blondeel. 2024. “Small and Medium-Sized Accounting Practices (SMPs) : Explaining Financial Performance Based on Human Capital and Organisational Resources.” ACCOUNTING IN EUROPE 21 (1): 68–100. https://doi.org/10.1080/17449480.2023.2241871.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
Verplancke, Frederik, Stefanie De Bruyckere, Patricia Everaert, Carine Coppens, and Eva Blondeel. 2024. “Small and Medium-Sized Accounting Practices (SMPs) : Explaining Financial Performance Based on Human Capital and Organisational Resources.” ACCOUNTING IN EUROPE 21 (1): 68–100. doi:10.1080/17449480.2023.2241871.
Vancouver
1.
Verplancke F, De Bruyckere S, Everaert P, Coppens C, Blondeel E. Small and medium-sized accounting practices (SMPs) : explaining financial performance based on human capital and organisational resources. ACCOUNTING IN EUROPE. 2024;21(1):68–100.
IEEE
[1]
F. Verplancke, S. De Bruyckere, P. Everaert, C. Coppens, and E. Blondeel, “Small and medium-sized accounting practices (SMPs) : explaining financial performance based on human capital and organisational resources,” ACCOUNTING IN EUROPE, vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 68–100, 2024.
@article{01H93FZ4HM6D9XTG1AV6RA35F8,
  abstract     = {{Small- and medium-sized accounting practices (SMPs) offer clients – small and medium-sized entities – support to comply with statutory services (financial statements, tax file preparation) and provide customised business advice. This paper investigates differences in SMP’s financial performance. A survey was sent to Belgian heads of SMPs, asking about personal characteristics regarding education and experience (representing human capital resources), firm size, service types provided, cooperation, and communication (representing organisational capital resources). The findings show that additional specialisation degrees, more experience, and more continuing professional development are linked with higher sales per employee. However, the advantage of additional specialisation degrees diminishes as experience increases. Cooperating with other service providers and using the phone as preferred communication method were also linked to higher financial performance. Finally, male-headed SMPs had higher sales per employee than female-headed ones. Female accountants focused more on their educational role, spending more time explaining the figures to clients.}},
  author       = {{Verplancke, Frederik and De Bruyckere, Stefanie and Everaert, Patricia and Coppens, Carine and Blondeel, Eva}},
  issn         = {{1744-9480}},
  journal      = {{ACCOUNTING IN EUROPE}},
  keywords     = {{Finance,Accounting,Business and International Management,SMEs,small and medium-sized accounting firms,financial performance,experience,gender,BUSINESS ADVICE,EXTERNAL ACCOUNTANTS,FIRM SURVIVAL,DIVERSIFICATION,EDUCATION,GENDER,DETERMINANTS,CAPABILITIES,INDUSTRY,INTERNATIONALIZATION}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{68--100}},
  title        = {{Small and medium-sized accounting practices (SMPs) : explaining financial performance based on human capital and organisational resources}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.1080/17449480.2023.2241871}},
  volume       = {{21}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}

Altmetric
View in Altmetric