Understanding developments in the management information value chain from a structuration theory framework

The last few decades has seen increasing focus in the transformation of the role of accountants from traditional control to strategic decision making. This transformation, expressed in terms of the management information value chain (MIVC), depicts the role of the corporate accountant as a “partner” in providing value-added information. Walther et al. [Walther T, Johansson H, Dunleavy J, Hjelm E. Reinventing the CFO: Moving from Financial Management to Strategic Management. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1997.] provide a detailed illustration of this transformative role of the accountant (i.e., the CFO) as the agent in shaping the value chain while operating within the constraints of organizational factors that influence changes in the institution. However, due to an inadequate integration of the agent and organizational factors involved in the change, Walther et al. fail to systemically interpret the complexity involved in such a transformation. This paper illustrates how integrates the elements and processes involved in the interaction between agents and institutions, thereby providing a framework for understanding changes in the management information value chain, and specifically, interpreting the Walther text emphasizing the accountant's instrumental role as the agent in interacting with institutional structures in initiating that change.