Informal Institutions in Accounting Research : A Structured Literature Review

This paper reviews the literature on the effect of informal institutions on accounting practices and outcomes. We adopt a structured literature review methodology and address three key questions: How is research on the impact of informal institutions on accounting outcomes developing? What is the focus and critique of the literature on the impact of informal institutions on accounting outcomes? And lastly, what is the future for research on the impact of informal institutions on accounting outcomes? By providing answers to these questions, we contribute to the international accounting literature by producing the first study to systematically review this lively research area. This literature review assists researchers in assessing the current state of knowledge in this field and identifying under-researched areas and gaps in existing knowledge. This mapping of the relevant research landscape enables researchers to conduct future valuable and impactful research in the field