Institutional View of Accounting

The series of corporate accounting scandals drew attention to the stewardship function of accounting. This exposition deals with the characteristics of accounting from perspective of institutional economic theory. I analyze relationship between owner and manager by the principal-agent model. This model helps us to reveal the causes which led to corporate scandals at the beginning of this millennium. As a reaction to these scandals, American Congress approved Sarbanes-Oxley Act. This act should help to protect investors by improving the accuracy and reliability of corporate disclosures.