TY - JOUR
T1 - UK PhD assessment in accounting and finance
T2 - social capital in action
AU - Smith, Sarah Jane
AU - Urquhart, Vivien
PY - 2018/3/4
Y1 - 2018/3/4
N2 - Assessment lies at the centre of PhD degree quality standards, with quality assurance relying on independent external examiners. This study investigates the role of the viva and the selection of external examiners from within the accounting and finance discipline across UK institutions. A questionnaire survey and follow-up interviews with academics (299 respondents; 49 interviews) and recent PhD graduates (73 respondents; 18 interviews) were undertaken. Findings identify multiple viva roles including verification; academic career development; and assessment. External examiner selection is outcome-driven, and the independence of examiners is questionable when secured using the social capital existing between an examiner and supervisor. Supervisors and examiners jointly gate-keep the academic community within cliques, although at the viva stage new entrants are rarely excluded. The PhD assessment process offers the opportunity for rogue cliques to develop, driven by favourable outcomes in terms of personal benefits and costs, allowing new entrants of insufficient quality.
AB - Assessment lies at the centre of PhD degree quality standards, with quality assurance relying on independent external examiners. This study investigates the role of the viva and the selection of external examiners from within the accounting and finance discipline across UK institutions. A questionnaire survey and follow-up interviews with academics (299 respondents; 49 interviews) and recent PhD graduates (73 respondents; 18 interviews) were undertaken. Findings identify multiple viva roles including verification; academic career development; and assessment. External examiner selection is outcome-driven, and the independence of examiners is questionable when secured using the social capital existing between an examiner and supervisor. Supervisors and examiners jointly gate-keep the academic community within cliques, although at the viva stage new entrants are rarely excluded. The PhD assessment process offers the opportunity for rogue cliques to develop, driven by favourable outcomes in terms of personal benefits and costs, allowing new entrants of insufficient quality.
KW - accounting and finance
KW - PhD assessment
KW - social capital
KW - UK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85041221756&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/1893/26655
U2 - 10.1080/09639284.2018.1431553
DO - 10.1080/09639284.2018.1431553
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85041221756
SN - 0963-9284
VL - 27
SP - 160
EP - 182
JO - Accounting Education
JF - Accounting Education
IS - 2
ER -