The role of actor-networks and boundary objects in management accounting change: a field study of an implementation of activity-based costing

Abstract

This field study seeks to illustrate how an organisation's accounting system can be changed by a heterogeneous actor-network of local and global actors and actants. In particular, it focusses on the role of boundary that were able to stabilise and mediate diverse interests. Five types of boundary objects were identified — data repositories, visionary objects ideal type objects, coincident boundaries and standardized protocols. Here, accounting change was anti-heroic — the effort of many as opposed to a powerful few had to be corralled. Also, change was cyclical, as new accounting technologies were adopted on faith, made to 'work/succeed' temporarily, and then abandoned.