Once considered an intruder into the academic community, accounting has developed into a full fledged social science, with fierce competition among its different paradigms. Riahi-Belkaoui explains that these paradigms, each striving for primacy through publications, conferences, and other means of self-exposure, are characterized by their exemplars, their image of the subject matter, their theories, and finally the methods they use. In doing so they have given accounting a certain, new cachet. Riahi-Belkaoui thus provides a critical examination of each of these paradigms in an effort to guide researchers and policymakers in their search for proper interpretations and positionings of the products of accounting research. A stimulating discussion for academics and knowledgeable professionals alike.

In six chapters each devoted to a specific paradigm, the book elucidates each paradigm's contribution to accounting thought and practice. Covered are the anthropological/inductive paradigm, the true income/deductive paradigm, the decision usefulness/decision model paradigm, the decision usefulness/decision maker/aggregate market behavior paradigm, and the decision usefulness/decision maker/individual user paradigm. The result is a book that makes unique use of philosophy of science concepts in accounting, and a book that will also have applications in university graduate-level courses in research methodology and accounting theory.