Title: Research traditions in Malaysia and the West

Authors: Aida Sy; Anthony Tinker

Addresses: Department of Economics, Accounting and Finance, School of Management, Marist College, 3399 North Road, Poughkeepsie, New York 12602, USA ' Baruch College, City University of New York, One Bernard Baruch Way, New York, NY 10010, USA

Abstract: This research raises a complex of questions about the relationship between the West and its former colonies. Many ex-colonised countries are now emerging as developing or developed economies, yet they are still using the Western accounting systems. We know from the African history that these nations already had in place their own accounting and auditing systems prior to the colonial era. In Africa, for instance, a huge number of merchants continue to use traditional African accounting and auditing methods. This paper seeks to restore the collective memory concerning African accounting for both African scholars and those in the West who are interested in discovering these accounting truths. The same experiences are also relevant for Asian countries.

Keywords: accounting research; Malaysian research; Western research; accounting systems; history; standards setting; former colonies; ex-colonies; research traditions; auditing; African accounting methods; Africa; Asia.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCA.2013.055216

International Journal of Critical Accounting, 2013 Vol.5 No.2, pp.119 - 122

Published online: 28 Nov 2013 *

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