Technical resources

Leadership fit for the 21st century

This new report examines the trend for mindfulness as the new “must have” for executives to support self-regulation, promote effective decision making and protect themselves from toxic stress.

Culture and channelling corporate behaviour

This series of four reports aims to assist boards in preparing to assess their corporate culture and in understanding how it can influence either functional or dysfunctional behaviour.

Technical factsheet 192: Alternative dispute resolution (ADR)

The purpose of this factsheet is to provide guidance in respect of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and the changes currently taking place in the UK.

Culture and channelling corporate behaviour

Pauline Schu introduces findings from a one-year global study into corporate culture and the drivers of organisational behaviour.

Increasing gender diversity to boost performance

This paper aims to help finance professionals understand the value of gender diversity and make the business case for diversity to their peers.

Accounting for children: implementing child rights for better business

This report introduces the concept of children’s rights as a business issue of concern to finance directors and accounting teams.

The business case for diversity management

This joint ACCA–ESRC report investigates the limitations of current diversity management and what could be done to help organisations benefit from greater diversity and inclusive cultures.

Towards better diversity management

This paper discusses the limitations of current diversity management and at what could be done to help organisations benefit from greater diversity and inclusive cultures.

Exploring diversity in business

Alison Maitland explains how diversity has risen high onto the agenda of business leaders, driven by growing recognition of the business case for it.

Transformation challenges in finance

This report considers the challenges CFOs face by finance transformation and suggests a number of good practices that organisations can follow in transforming their finance operations.

Paving the way to opportunities: women in leadership across the Commonwealth

This report by Janjuha-Jivraj and Arif Zaman, presents the most comprehensive review of the progress of women in leadership positions across the Commonwealth.

Talent and capability in global finance functions

This report uses detailed case studies to present insights from leading organisations on the challenges, solutions and opportunities for talent management in today’s global finance function.

The future of finance talent

Deborah Kops and Jamie Lyon, April 2013. This report suggests a number of trends that could affect finance talent management in the future. It focuses particularly on the implications of further growth in shared services, outsourcing, the rise of global business services and their relationships with the retained finance organisation. These trends are intended to stimulate the debate on the future of talent management in global finance functions.

Drivers of change in the UK

Faye Chua, February 2013. This report outlines the UK-relevant findings from a global survey conducted in 2012 by ACCA and IMA across their membership on drivers of change for the accountancy profession. It presents the UK’s key drivers of change in the short, medium and long term for a variety of businesses. By identifying and exploring emerging trends, it can help accountants and business leaders prepare for an uncertain tomorrow.

Drivers of change in the US

Faye Chua, February 2013. This report outlines the US-relevant findings from a global survey conducted in 2012 by ACCA and IMA across their membership on drivers of change for the accountancy profession. It presents the US’s key drivers of change in the short, medium and long term for a variety of businesses. By identifying and exploring emerging trends, it can help accountants and business leaders prepare for an uncertain tomorrow.

Drivers of change in Asia-Pacific

Faye Chua, February 2013. This report outlines the Asia-Pacific-relevant findings from a global survey conducted in 2012 by ACCA and IMA across their membership on drivers of change for the accountancy profession. It presents Asia-Pacific’s key drivers of change in the short, medium and long term for a variety of businesses. By identifying and exploring emerging trends, it can help accountants and business leaders prepare for an uncertain tomorrow.

Drivers of change: global perspective

Faye Chua, February 2013. This report outlines the main findings of a survey recently conducted by ACCA and IMA across their membership on 100 drivers of change for the global accountancy profession. It presents the three critical drivers of change in the short, the medium and the long term for a variety of businesses. By identifying and exploring emerging trends, it can help accountants and business leaders prepare for an uncertain tomorrow.

Women in finance: a springboard to corporate board positions?

ACCA and ESRC explore whether having a financial background or qualification affects the likelihood that senior women will obtain a FTSE 100 board directorship.

Talent management in a shared services world: 2012 survey

This report provides results from one of the largest-ever surveys on talent management practices across the global finance profession. It provides some simple data points on the current state of talent management activities from global finance functions that have adopted shared service centres. Over 1,200 finance functions with shared service centres responded to this survey.

Closing the value gap: understanding the accountancy profession in the 21st century

This research asked the accountancy profession and the public about trust and public value. The findings reveal a profession keen to re-examine its future.

Expert panels on diversity in business

Alison Maitland summarises ACCA's Expert Panel events and their views on diversity in business.

Finance leaders on sourcing success

This report presents the results of a global survey of finance leaders on the aims and effectiveness of finance shared services and outsourcing programmes. It explores the initial drivers behind adopting finance shared services and outsourcing finance operations, considers how these are evolving, and the success of current approaches.

Building a better business through finance diversity

This report shows why diversity in the finance function is important and considers how businesses can develop more diverse finance functions.

Harnessing diversity for global business performance

This briefing paper introduces the 2011–12 ACCA–ESRC roundtables about harnessing diversity in business with some short examples of how diversity, or the lack of it, affects sustainable business growth.

The e-professional: embracing learning technologies

ACCA, November 2011. This paper reviews how online approaches to learning and assessment are affecting professional development, and the impacts this is having on employers of finance professionals. It presents the world of the e-professional based on research among training and development experts, and it explores what the future of online learning and assessment may look like.

Gender diversity on boards

Comments from ACCA to the Financial Reporting Council.

Maximising People Power: Effective Talent Management in Finance

This report provides a follow-up to ACCA's survey 'Talent Management in 2010'. A key finding of this research was that less than 20% of organisations had a talent strategy that fully integrated talent identification, development, deployment and retention activity across the finance team.

Accounting for Health

ACCA research report 121, by Hay, Jen and Lievens.

Business Advice to SMEs: Human Resources and Employment

ACCA research report 123, by R. Jarvis and M. Rigby.

Professional conduct resources

Professional conduct resources, including a guide covering ACCA's Committee Unit and the Disciplinary Regulatory Committees, and a slideshow presentation on discipline

The value creation model for business: 2010 and beyond

This report shares insights from more than 500 business leaders on the value professional accountants bring to organisations of all sizes and all sectors.

Generation Y: realising the potential

Jamie Lyon Sue Filmer and Bruce McDougall, July 2010. This joint research paper from ACCA and Mercer presents one of the most substantive and widespread surveys of Generation Y finance professional ever undertaken, with respondents from 122 countries. It provides a unique perspective for the finance profession. It gives a blue print for employers of finance professionals for recruiting, developing, engaging and retaining the future of the profession in today's workplace.

Talent management in 2010: foundations for growth

Jamie Lyon, July 2110. This paper considers organisational approaches to one of the key challenges facing the accountancy profession in 2010: the identification, development, deployment and retention of finance talent.

Collaborative working: why relationships matter in finance

Jamie Lyon, March 2010. The paper reviews how leading finance functions look to work collaboratively by building internal and external relationships. It also considers why collaborative working is important for finance professionals aspiring to leadership roles, and gives some sound advice for how collaborative relationships can be developed.

The relevance and utility of leading accounting research

ACCA research report 120, by J. Unerman and B. O'Dwyer.

Human Capital in Accounting and Finance: Accountants for Business

Tony Osude and Jamie Lyon, October 2009. This report considers how and where accountants can drive value in the organisation. It looks at how this value can be optimised, and considers the features of finance functions that best support delivering value. It also demonstrates how business factors can shape and drive optimal finance structures, and presents a three-step model for optimisation.

The CFO's new environment

CFO Research Services in collaboration with ACCA, July 2009. This report is based on the results of an online survey completed by more than 450 senior finance executives across the world, and on in-depth interviews with executives from 11 major companies.

Equal opportunity for women in the workplace: a study of corporate disclosure

ACCA research report 102, by K. Grosser, C. Adams and J. Moon.