J. W. Pattillo: The Foundation Of Financial Accounting, A Review Article

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia


Abstract

The book was published in 1965 and subsequently reviewed in the April 1966 issue of the Accounting Review by Prof. Carl Nelson. Other than several citations in Hendriksen’s “Accounting Theory” and a brief discussion in Yu’s “Structure of Accounting Theory” Pattillo’s work generally escaped notice. It was not widely quoted (not to say discussed) and even the review by Nelson was a rather neutral one. And if after 17 years, the work has not gained some semblance of recognition, then one wonders if the ideas expressed are logically faulty, if the issues raised were not relevant or pertinent to accounting, if the author strays too much away from the mainstream of ac counting thought, or if Pattillo is too far ahead (or behind) his time. If the non-acceptance is due to the impracticality of the proposals then at least there ought to have been discussions relating to the conceptual framework, to test the validity of the various relationships. For surely, a work that attempts to examine the foundations of financial accounting deserves a greater degree of attention. It is not expected that each and every proposal relating to the theoretical foundation of accounting be accepted by the academics and the profession, but one would expect that it ought first be examined, discussed, and then may be rejected Accounting being as it is one of the few disciplines that is still to present to the world a sound conceptual framework explaining the basis of its existence and the interrelationships in the structure can ill-afford such a casual treatment of efforts to do so.

This review thus attempts to examine Pattillo’s work thoroughly, and then to attempt an explanation as to why it is not accorded the recognition nor did it receive a following.

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Citation

Ismail, H. (1982). J. W. Pattillo: The Foundation Of Financial Accounting, A Review Article. Jurnal Pengurusan, 1, 96–102.

@article{ismail1982pattillo,
  title={J. W. Pattillo: The Foundation Of Financial Accounting, A Review Article},
  author={Ismail, Hamzah},
  journal={Jurnal Pengurusan},
 

volume={1},
  number={},
  pages={96—102},
  year={1982},
  doi={},
  publisher={Penerbit UKM},
}

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1 (1982) 96 – 102

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