Accounting and Control

The output of the department of Accounting belies its compact size; its faculty members and researchers are highly active and internationally influential. “We investigate issues that are of importance to academics and practitioners alike; in management accounting and control, financial analysis and valuation, and auditing,” says Chair Prof. Erik Peek. “Thus, we focus on generating practically relevant insights based on high-quality research to address questions that live amongst our stakeholders. This includes the business community of accountants, controllers, and financial advisors and managers.”

Our department creates and disseminates state-of-the-art knowledge about how accounting information facilitates economically and socially sound business decisions. We’re raising the awareness of business leaders to the pivotal role played by accounting in providing all kinds of information to and from organisations, and to and from markets.

Prof. Erik Peek, Department Chair

Our passion

“We have a diverse audience, from first-year bachelor students, to master and PhD students,” says Prof. Peek. “Yet we are also heavily engaged in executive programmes,” he points out. Many of RSM’s education programmes include personal development, and prepare students, academics and people in business to be a force for positive change as critical, creative, caring and collaborative thinkers and doers. “Our flagship MSc programme in Accounting and Financial Management trains the accountants and financial managers of the future to be ethical and strategic business partners, besides developing their technical accounting knowledge. Our passion is excellence in teaching, and sharing new knowledge and insights interactively with students and practitioners.”

Understanding behaviour and practice

The department’s research incorporates economic and behavioural insights that address current business issues and allow organisations and people to prosper. “Our interdisciplinary approach makes us well-equipped to tackle practically relevant questions,” Prof. Peek explains. “This enables us to comprehend people’s behaviour in response to performance measures and incentives. It also assists us in our analysis and understanding of the role of accounting information in capital markets.” Moreover, having academics with business experience among its staff helps ensure the practical relevance of the department’s teaching and research activities, and to create a positive impact in business.

A vital discipline

“Through our teaching and research and our position at the forefront of accounting knowledge creation and dissemination, we make people conscious of the vital role that accounting information plays in organisations and markets. The insights we help generate are crucial input to many business decisions such as marketing and strategic decisions, and to society in general.”