With recent advances in technology, the amount of data available for academics and practitioners to analyze has grown exponentially. However, at this stage, the potential of this data to assist managers in improving decision-making and managerial control has not been fully realized.
The editorial
In their editorial for the European Accounting Review special issue on innovative data sources in management accounting research, Matthias Mahlendorf, Melissa Martin, and David Smith present a series of ‘use-cases’ drawn from prior research and industry, highlighting exciting new data sources and explain the implications of their use for management accounting research and practice. The editorial covers the use of data such as natural language, crowd-sourced ratings on online platforms, images, sound and videos, wearables, geolocation, and satellite data.
Goal and key contribution/s
The goal of the editorial is to highlight opportunities and stimulate further research in this area. To this end, a key contribution of the editorial is to present a matrix, setting out the management accounting research that has been conducted so far using these data sources and identifying areas in which research (at this stage) is lacking. In so doing, the editorial highlights combinations of data and topics that represent promising starting points for future research. Additionally, the editorial provides a series of management accounting research questions that can potentially be explored using innovative data. Finally, the compilation of use cases can also serve as inspiration for practitioners who want to strengthen data-driven decision-making.
The editorial “Innovative Data – Use-cases in management accounting research and practice” was written by Matthias Mahlendorf (Frankfurt School of Finance and Management), Melissa Martin (University of Illinois), and David Smith (RMIT University) and can be found in the European Accounting Review (forthcoming) here.
