Resistance or Change in the Vietnamese Accounting Field?

Abstract

The paper explores the probability of substantive change in the Vietnamese accounting field from a Bourdieuian perspective. The research question is, "Do the 2 million practitioners in the Vietnamese accounting field look forward to changes that may be brought about by Anglo Saxon institutions such as, the large accounting firms, the international standards and the foreign accounting professions?" Semi structured interviews were conducted to draw from respondents their feelings and thoughts on the possibility of change. Some 44 interviews of bookkeepers, including professional accountants, academics and other informed observers were conducted. Of the 44 interviewees the bookkeepers were more generally negative with regard to change. They preferred a compliance mode of accounting. By contrast, those representatives of other groups such as professional accountants, managers and academics were more open to change and saw merit in following accounting principles. The literature refers to "a paucity of studies on developing countries" with respect to the effects of exogenous changes to local accounting fields. The paper meets this need by investigating the accounting field in Vietnam and its reaction to exogenous change.