Accounting Rules and the Supply of Accountants

Last registered on September 04, 2023
View Trial History

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Accounting Rules and the Supply of Accountants
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0012030
Initial registration date
September 03, 2023

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
September 04, 2023, 7:01 AM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

Country
United States of America
Region

Primary Investigator

Name
Anthony Le
Affiliation
Columbia Business School
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2023-09-06
End date
2023-09-30
Keywords
Labor, Other
Additional Keywords
JEL code(s)
I21, J2, J24, J28, K2, L51, M4
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
In this study, I explore the role that accounting rules, in particular the restrictiveness of GAAP, have played in the declining supply of accountants through both analysis of archival data and a survey-based field experiment. I find in my archival analyses that the restrictiveness of the profession has decreased the supply of accountants and accounting students. I find evidence that this has shifted the role of the accountant and has particularly deterred specific types of individuals: those who are creative, those who place greater importance on interest in their major, and those who value intrinsic factors over extrinsic factors in their career choice. I supplement these findings with a survey-based field experiment that (i) aims to identify the key reasons students avoid accounting through survey responses, and (ii) assesses whether the salience of restrictiveness can change students’ perceptions of the profession.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Le, Anthony. 2023. "Accounting Rules and the Supply of Accountants." AEA RCT Registry. September 04. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.12030-1.0
Sponsors & Partners
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Intervention (Hidden)
My study will employ a survey-based field experiment. This methodology involves the random assignment of surveys to participants. Participants are then "primed" by reading text passages before completing the survey. The responses will then be used to assess whether the information provided to the participant significantly alters their perceptions and views. Specifically in the context of my study, participants will be shown one of three variations of a prompt before they complete the survey. This prompt will describe in a paragraph the role accountants play in their organizations. The first prompt will contain no information, and direct the participant to continue to the next page to complete the survey. There will then be two treatment arms. The first treatment arm will explain the role of GAAP in accountants' day-to-day work, but highlight the professional judgment that accountants can apply. Finally, the other treatment arm will consist of a restrictive description of what accountants do in their day-to-day work. This treatment arm will describe accountants' day-to-day work in a restrictive manner (i.e., making references to rules, the necessity to follow GAAP, etc.).
Intervention Start Date
2023-09-06
Intervention End Date
2023-09-30

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
The primary outcome I plan to assess is whether the perceived restrictiveness of accounting deters them from the profession because they cannot apply critical thinking or creativity in their job.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
The secondary outcome I am interested in is whether this changes their likelihood of recommending accounting as a career choice.
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
I will distribute a survey to undergraduate students to understand their reasons for not becoming an accountant.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
This will be done in an office by a computer.
Randomization Unit
Individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
N/A
Sample size: planned number of observations
3,000
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
1,000 observations per treatment arm.
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Columbia University IRB
IRB Approval Date
2023-08-31
IRB Approval Number
IRB-AAAU8179
Analysis Plan

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
No
Data Collection Complete
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

Program Files

Program Files
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials