Paradigms in accounting research: A view from North America

The highest ranked U.S. business schools value, almost exclusively, publications in academic journals deemed to be “A-level” and high quantities of SSCI citations. But the so-called A-level journals, which typically are said to be five in number or less, publish predominantly empirical tests of economics-based models using large, archival data sets. Motivating researchers to publish papers that are situated only in these journals and that gather high quantities of SSCI citations, which are more likely if the publications are in mainstream topic areas, reduces topic, discipline, and research method diversity. The loss of diversity is costly to the schools themselves, the academy and, indeed, society. The narrow focus of the U.S. business schools provides a great opportunity for business schools in Europe and other parts of the world to take a leadership position in many important research areas. But that opportunity will be lost if those schools try to emulate the U.S. business school model.