Article review of “Management accounting and the paradigm change”

Article review of “Management accounting and the paradigm change”

 

How to present this article in Harvard reference format?

Costa, M. and Pinho, M., 2025. Management accounting and the paradigm change - a journey through the age of digitalization. Procedia Computer Science, 263, pp.564–574. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2025.07.068.

 

What are the key research issues the article wants to address?

The key research issues the article aims to address are:

1.    How the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and concepts linked to Big Data (BD) have changed the vision and practice of the accounting and auditing professions amid digitalization and technological advances.

2.    Understanding the impact of digitalization, AI, and BD on accounting and auditing processes, including which accounting activities can or cannot be automated, and how these changes influence management accounting work.

3.    Investigating the future projections for accounting and auditing professions as affected by emerging technologies, including both the benefits such as increased efficiency and decision-making, and challenges such as ethical concerns and the preservation of professional standards.

4.    Providing a holistic and systematized overview of how digital transformation impacts the accounting sector by conducting a systematic literature review (SLR) and bibliometric analysis to cluster the research themes and identify future research directions.

5.    Highlighting the need for further empirical research, case studies, and studies addressing the implication of AI and blockchain on accounting and auditing, as well as assessing impacts related to organizational behavior such as work satisfaction and burnout.

Thus, the article is centered on exploring the evolving intersection of AI, big data, and digitalization with accounting and auditing, providing thematic categorization of literature, and pinpointing gaps and future research avenues.

 

Describe two main theories employed in this article.

The article primarily builds its analysis around two main theoretical frameworks related to emerging technologies in accounting and auditing:

1.    Emerging Technologies and Digitalization Theory This theory considers technologies characterized by "radical novelty, relatively fast growth, prominent impact, uncertainty, and ambiguity" as emerging technologies, as defined by Rotolo et al. (2015) cited in the article. The framework emphasizes how digitalization—the process of converting information into digital format—and associated tools like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big Data (BD), Machine Learning (ML), blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT), and cloud computing are reshaping accounting and auditing professions. The theory underlines that digital transformation leads to shifts from traditional manual processes towards more automated, data-driven, and efficient digital processes, impacting the roles, tasks, and ethical considerations within these professions.

2.    Bibliometric Analysis and Keyword Co-occurrence Methodology as a Research Theory The article employs bibliometric analysis, particularly keyword co-occurrence mapping, as an analytical theory to systematically explore and categorize the existing literature related to AI, BD, and digitalization in accounting. This methodological framework helps identify relationships and thematic clusters within the research domain, grouping multiple studies into coherent categories reflecting future projections for accounting and auditing professions, accounting processes from research to digitalization, and corporate environment changes induced by new technological trends. The bibliometric approach is based on the assumption that the frequency and co-occurrence of terms in literature reflect intellectual structures and evolving research trends in the field.

Together, these frameworks enable the authors to conceptualize the paradigm shift in accounting through digitalization and analyze the body of research to reveal thematic concentrations and gaps for future enquiry.

Highlight 2 main primary findings reported in this article.

Two main primary findings reported in the article are:

1.    Emerging Technologies are Significantly Transforming Accounting and Auditing Professions The study finds that digitalization, especially through emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big Data (BD), Machine Learning (ML), Internet of Things (IoT), and blockchain, has brought about a paradigm shift in accounting and auditing. These technologies enhance efficiency, transparency, and decision-making processes within these professions. However, this rapid digital transformation also raises concerns regarding the future of the professions, ethics in automated decision-making, and the need to revise existing regulations to keep pace with technological changes. The professions must reconcile traditional methods with these emerging technologies, which leads to both benefits such as improved sustainability and reliability and challenges such as job automation and ethical considerations.

2.    Three Distinct Thematic Clusters Characterize the Current Research Landscape Through bibliometric analysis and keyword co-occurrence methodology, the study categorizes the literature on AI and BD in accounting into three clusters:

• Cluster 1: "Accounting and auditing - future projections for the professions" (20 articles) focuses on how emerging technologies will shape the future of these professions, including benefits, drawbacks, and ethical issues.
• Cluster 2: "Accounting processes: from research to digitalization" (4 articles) emphasizes the evolution of accounting processes from theoretical research to practical digitalization, highlighting the need to understand which accounting tasks can be automated.
• Cluster 3: "The corporate environment and new technological trends" (9 articles) centers on empirical evidence regarding the impacts of technological implementation at the organizational level, including changes in data collection, corporate social responsibility concerns, and ongoing challenges within companies. This clustering shows a holistic and multi-faceted understanding of the interplay between digitalization and accounting/auditing professions.

These findings provide a comprehensive view of how digitization is reshaping accounting, the current scope of research, and highlight areas where future studies are needed.

 

Describe 3 main claims of the article in terms of Toulmin's model of argument.

Using Toulmin’s model of argument, three main claims of the article can be described as follows:

1.    Claim: Emerging digital technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big Data (BD), Machine Learning (ML), Internet of Things (IoT), and blockchain are fundamentally transforming the accounting and auditing professions. Data (Evidence): The article’s systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis find an increasing number of studies demonstrating how these technologies improve efficiency, decision-making, sustainability, and transparency in accounting and auditing processes. Furthermore, it analyzes clusters showing trends and future projections relating to these transformations. Warrant: If emerging technologies enhance processes and bring about significant changes in roles, methods, and outcomes in any profession, it follows that these professions are being fundamentally transformed. Backing: Cited literature highlights that the evolution and integration of technologies like AI have already altered workflows and continue to evolve rapidly, necessitating changes such as updated regulations and ethical considerations. Qualifier: While the impact is significant, the exact extent and direction of the transformation remain partially uncertain due to ongoing technological evolution and ethical debates. Rebuttal: Some argue there are risks associated with automation, ethical concerns, and potential job displacement, indicating that the transformation has complex positive and negative facets.

2.    Claim: The literature on AI and BD in accounting is organized into three distinct thematic clusters reflecting different perspectives on digital transformation. Data: The bibliometric keyword co-occurrence analysis identified three clusters: future projections of the professions, the path from research to digitalization, and impacts in the corporate environment. Warrant: Clustering of keywords and articles in bibliometric analysis represents meaningful thematic distinctions in the research field. Backing: Using VOSviewer and an extensive sample from WoS, the study methodologically supports the existence of thematic clusters. Qualifier: The clusters are based on currently available literature and may evolve as new studies emerge. Rebuttal: Some overlap or cross-cutting themes between clusters may exist, yet the clusters overall provide a useful structure for understanding the field.

3.    Claim: Further research is necessary to fully understand the implications of digitalization, especially regarding the ethical, managerial, and practical impacts of AI and related technologies on accounting and auditing. Data: The article highlights gaps noted in the literature, including unclear impacts of digitalization on professions, ethical issues in automated decision-making, and limited practical case studies. Warrant: When current knowledge is incomplete or mixed, further systematic study is essential to clarify effects and guide professional practice and policy. Backing: Several SLRs, as well as calls from authors reviewed in the article, emphasize the need for more empirical evidence, case studies, and investigations into ethical and organizational behavior aspects. Qualifier: Future research directions are proposed but remain open to refinement as technologies and regulations evolve. Rebuttal: While some preliminary evidence exists about benefits, without deeper studies, risks and broader societal impacts may be underestimated.

In summary, the article argues (1) emerging technologies transform accounting and auditing, (2) the body of research divides into thematic clusters illuminating different facets of this transformation, and (3) ongoing research is critically needed to address remaining uncertainties and implications in theory and practice.

Describe 2 main research limitations of the study.

Two main research limitations of the study as identified or implied in the article are:

1. Limited Scope of Literature and Sample Size: The study is based on a systematic literature review (SLR) using bibliometric analysis of articles extracted solely from the Web of Science (WoS) database. Only 40 articles fit the initial search criteria, with 37 ultimately analyzed after exclusion. This relatively small sample size and single-source reliance may limit the comprehensiveness and generalizability of the findings, potentially overlooking relevant studies indexed elsewhere or in gray literature  .

2. Predominantly Theoretical and Bibliometric Approach Without Empirical Case Studies: The research revolves around bibliometric clustering and literature synthesis rather than primary empirical data or case studies. The article itself highlights the need for more empirical research to explore the practical impacts of AI and digitalization on accounting and auditing professions, including ethical, managerial, and organizational behavior dimensions  . This absence of direct empirical validation limits the ability to draw concrete conclusions about real-world effects and may reduce the applicability of the findings in practical organizational contexts.

These limitations suggest a direction for future work involving larger, more diverse literature bases and empirical research to complement the conceptual insights provided here.