The 10th ENROAC Doctoral and Early Career Researchers Summer School in Management Accounting is a prestigious event that took place from June 23rd to June 26th, 2024, at the beautiful Certosa di Pontignano in Siena, Italy. Hosted by the University of Siena's Department of Business and Law, this year's summer school stood out not only for its picturesque setting but also for the intellectual vigour and collaborative spirit it fosters among participants!
The following faculty members supported the summer school in 2024:
COOLS Martine, KU Leuven, Belgium
ROBERTS Hanno, BI Norwegian Business School, Norway
JOLLANDS Stephen, University of Exeter, UK
LARRINAGA Carlos, University of Burgos, Spain
QUATTRONE Paolo, Alliance Manchester Business School, UK
SCAPENS Robert, Alliance Manchester Business School and Birmingham Business School, UK
STRAUSS Erik, Witten/Herdecke University, Germany.
VAIVIO Juhani, Aalto University, Finland
An Overview of the ENROAC Summer School
The ENROAC Summer School is renowned for its informal community focused on tradecraft and mutual support to encourage both personal and professional growth. The summer school focused on contemporary issues in management accounting, providing participants with a platform to present their research, receive constructive feedback from eminent scholars, and network with peers and experts from around the globe.
Highlights of the 2024 Programme
Day 1: Welcome and Networking
The summer school kicked off with a welcome dinner on Sunday, June 23rd, where participants had the opportunity to meet the faculty and fellow researchers in an informal setting. This initial interaction sets the tone for the collaborative and supportive environment that ENROAC is known for.
Day 2: In-Depth Academic Sessions
Monday, June 24th, marked the beginning of a series of thought-provoking sessions. The day started with a welcome address by Elena Giovannoni, followed by a presentation by Paolo Quattrone on “No-Thing” and how what is absent has agency and affects our decisions. The following feedback sessions for the PhD students and young scholars are structured to cover diverse themes such as social performance, value and valuation, identities, ethics, and professional roles in management accounting.
Key Topics of the Sessions:
”Performing the Social”: Explored topics like diversity in youth theatre and accounting for masculine domination in women’s football.
“Value and Valuation”: Discussed management control in the insurance sector and the financialization pressures on category membership.
“Identities, Ethics, and Purpose”: Covered the implications of budgeting on accountants’ identity work and sustainable success from corporate purpose to societal impact.
Roundtable "Living and Working in Another Country"
One of the standout sessions at the ENROAC Summer School 2024 was the innovative roundtable on "Living and Working in Another Country." Unlike the traditional paper and discussant format, this session focused on experience-sharing, providing a unique platform for participants to exchange personal insights and practical advice. The session was designed to help the 16 attendants, who are considering an international career, gain tacit knowledge from those who have already navigated the challenges and opportunities of working abroad.
The roundtable featured seasoned academics and professionals who have lived and worked in various countries, sharing their experiences and the lessons they learned along the way. Topics ranged from adapting to new cultures and building professional networks to understanding the nuances of international academic and business environments. This interactive format fostered a rich dialogue, allowing participants to ask questions and gain firsthand insights that are often not captured in academic literature.
The day concludes with a dinner featuring interactive games, fostering camaraderie among participants.
Day 3: Expanding Horizons
On Tuesday, June 25th, the sessions moved from the Certosa Sala Palio to the Siena Santa Chiara Lab, emphasizing inter-organizational relationships and the future of management accounting.
Highlights:
“Inter-Organizational Relationships and the Future”: Sessions on strategic alliances and psychological contracting in public-private partnerships.
“Data Digitalization and Virtual Spaces”: Examines accountability in hybrid organizations and the role of management control systems in virtual teams.
Participants also attended the Santa Chiara Workshop on performance measurement systems for sustainability, focusing on the agri-food sector. This session was organized by the president of Santa Chiara Lab, prof. Angelo Riccaboni. The session underscored the importance of sustainable practices and the role of accounting in achieving global development goals - with a specific focus on the agri-food sector, two keynote presentations from business representatives, and a panel discussion of the faculty.
Day 4: Sustainability and Impact
The final day, Wednesday, June 26th, was dedicated to sustainability and its impact on management accounting. Sessions explored topics such as animal welfare in sustainability reports and the role of accounting in supporting decision-making for sustainability.
Concluding Sessions:
“Sustainability and Impact”: Addressed the dynamics of materiality and sustainability accounting.
“Accounting in Different Settings”: Investigated non-financial reporting in the utility sector and the future of auditing.
Professor Robert W. Scapens had the honor to provide the last session of this successful summer school, by sharing his personal reflections on ‘the Relevance of Management Accounting Research’.
The summer school concluded with a session on collegiality and interdisciplinary research, followed by a farewell lunch.
Why Apply to the ENROAC Summer School in 2026?
The ENROAC Summer School is more than just an academic event; it is a vibrant community where future leaders in management accounting come together to learn, share, and grow. Here are a few reasons why aspiring PhDs should consider applying:
A focus on 'academic tradecraft' - everything you need to know but your PhD program never taught you.
A giving, non-transactional environment of like-minded researchers, where we care because we share.
Feedback on your thoughts and ideas, and not just on your output or your papers.
An inspiring space for reflecting, tolerating, and enjoying the phenomena of academia.
An open-minded, diverse, and non-hierarchical international academic community to draw on for a lifetime.
The 11th ENROAC Summer School promises to be an exceptional event, blending rigorous academic inquiry with a nurturing environment. This summer school is an invaluable opportunity for doctoral and early-career researchers to advance their knowledge, network with experts, and contribute to the future of management accounting. We encourage all motivated PhD students to apply and become part of this dynamic community.
Save the date and join the ENROAC Conference 2025 in Tartu
The 14th conference will be hosted by the University of Tartu, in Tartu (Estonia). Tartu is accessible by air from Helsinki or a comfortable bus or train ride from Tallinn Airport (Tallinn).
Several key features help to define ENROAC conferences, including:
A Practitioner’s Day: day 1, comprising plenary talks by academics and guests from business and practice. The theme for this day is “Changing times for the accounting community”.
Academic (parallel) sessions throughout days 2 and 3, multiple themes within the general scope of the network.
The use of Discussants in (days 2 & 3) academic presentations, guaranteeing substantial feedback to authors, plus Q&A and general discussion.
The new feature of Professional Development Workshops, particularly aimes at emerging scholars.
An Informal Approach that promotes high-level intellectual thought and debate, but also leaves plenty of time for a social side and networking.
Confirmed plenary speakers from academia are:
Professor Marko Järvenpää, University of Vaasa, Finland
Professor Kari Lukka, University of Turku, Finland
Professor Paolo Quattrone, University of Manchester, UK
The conference will begin with light refreshments at lunch on 10 June, before the Practitioner’s Day during the afternoon, which also closes with a drink’s reception. June 11-12 will comprise academic (parallel) sessions and professional development workshops.
For more information and to apply, visit ENROAC.NET.
Don't miss the chance to be part of this transformative experience!
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