Digitalization, climate challenges and tighter regulations have long put pressure on the accounting and auditing industry. And for smaller businesses, adapting has been particularly difficult. So how can SMEs in the industry meet the new demands of a rapidly changing world? This issue is discussed in the book Accounting and Auditing Small and Medium-Sized Practices – Transformative Capabilities in a Rapidly Changing Society.
The authors, most of whom are researchers at Norwegian universities, discuss how societal trends are affecting the industry and the role of skills development in managing change. In addition to looking to the future, they offer a framework for understanding the capacity of small and medium-sized agencies to change and how this can create sustainable competitive advantages.
Researchers at Kristianstad University and the University of Gothenburg co-authored one of the book’s chapters. In it, they discuss the tensions that can arise when accountants are caught between the needs of clients and the firm’s digitalization strategy. The book is primarily aimed at researchers and students, but also at practitioners who want to understand the challenges and opportunities ahead. The book can be read for free via open access.