Purpose: Based on the institutional theory, the purpose of this paper is to examine institutional factors that affect the development of accounting practices in Jordan. Design/methodology/approach: The current study surveys the perceptions of 306 participants and 20 interviewees. Findings: First, the early formation of accounting practices in Jordan has been affected by the legacy of Ottoman Empire’s and the British Colony’s accounting systems. Second, the results indicate that government of Jordan (regulatory frameworks), pressures from international donors and large economic organizations (politico-economic factors), education and training/development (cultural inputs), and the efforts to attract foreign investments and getting access into the international fund and trade (economic factors) have been influential influences in the development of accounting practices and the adoption of International Accounting Standards/International Financial Reporting Standards (IAS/IFRS) in Jordan. Finally, the findings reveal that “Secrecy” construct (a culture input) has been a problematic in the implementation of IAS/IFRS. Practical implications: The current study provides policy implications for the Jordanian policy makers and for other developing countries that are working hard to improve the quality of financial reporting of their business entities. Finally, the authors suggest some great opportunities for future research. Originality/value: First, this paper contributes to Jordan’s policy developments including fundamental strategies in terms of attracting foreign investments to expand the economy and the international and regional trade. Second, it fills a gap in the international accounting research by empirically assessing how institutional factors affect the development of accounting practices in emerging country such as Jordan.

Purpose: This study aims to provide an exhaustive review and analysis of accounting research conducted on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.Design/methodology/approach: The study combines bibliometric and content analysis techniques to analyze 811 Scopus peer-reviewed research articles from 1998 to 2023, written by 1,195 authors. It quantifies the annual scientific production, examines the main publication venues, visualizes collaboration and various bibliometric networks, identifies thematic research categories and provides a roadmap for future research directions.Findings: The findings reveal phenomenal progress in accounting research on the GCC countries, evidenced by an increased number of peer-reviewed articles, scholars and countries involved. Likewise, a “homophily impact” exists among the productive authors, meaning they share a disciplinary or thematic similarity in their research interests. Besides, there is an apparent weakness in the research collaboration between GCC countries and their global counterparts. Furthermore, four main broad thematic categories of accounting research on the GCC countries were identified: (1) corporate governance, (2) Islamic banks, (3) corporate social responsibility and (4) intellectual capital. Building on the findings, we formulated a comprehensive agenda for guiding future research directions.Originality/value: This study is the first to thoroughly evaluate accounting research within the GCC countries, utilizing a large sample of 811 peer-reviewed research papers indexed in Scopus from 1998 to 2023. The results are helpful, offer valuable insights and pave the way for future research avenues.

This paper critically examines the literature on risk reporting, largely dominated by the accounting standards for financial instruments (FI) issued by the FASB and the IASB. The analysis is motivated by the increased amount of FI-related research published in recent years, as well as by the conflicting findings that have emerged from these investigations. The increasing usage of risk-related FI, together with the financial collapses that this use has precipitated, provides a need for a review of research in this area. In discussing the key conclusions that emerge from the review, the paper identifies an agenda for future research and points to key omissions and deficiencies in the extant literature on risk reporting.