Institutional formations and the Anglo-Americanization of local auditing practices: The case of Greece

•Formation of institution of auditing in modern Greece.•Historical analysis of institutional isomorphism at work.•Coercive, mimetic and normative processes.•Anglo-Americanization of local practices.

Following influential studies on the operation of the world economic system and the development of accounting, this paper synthesizes elements of political economy and institutional theories to illuminate the processes which have led to the Anglo-Americanization of local auditing practices. By focusing on the history of modern Greece, this paper demonstrates how broader politico-economic ties created the backdrop for the development of coercive, mimetic and normative processes whose intertwinement gave rise to a professional cognitive basis and organizational practices conducive to the dominant Anglo-American models, long before the emergence of influential international accountancy organizations.