NEWS Lars G. Hassel, Professor in accounting and Rector for the Business School together with Gary M. Cunningham visiting professor at Åbo Akademi University in Finland were recognised with the 2013 Lee H. Radebaugh Notable Contribution to International Research Award at a ceremony in Savannah in February.
Professor Lars G. Hassel
The assessment of what constitutes a notable contribution to international research was based upon the following criteria; a demonstrable impact on international research; the importance of the issue addressed; the creativity of the research; the appropriateness of the theoretical development, research method, and analysis; and the number and quality of citations.
The award was given based on the article published in the Journal of International Accounting Research in the last decade is based on Professor Hassel’s and Professor Cunningham’s article “Psychic distance and budget control of foreign subsidiaries” published in 2004.
The underlying research was conducted using a Finnish multinational company and its performance evaluation approach with subsidiaries in various countries. The notion of psychic distance was used for the first time in an accounting context based on models developed by Swedish researchers for marketing and management research. Psychic distance represents a combination of cultural and geographic distance. Results showed significant differences among countries in the Finnish-based company. This is also the first research study to introduce cultural and geographic distance factors into management accounting research. Further it is one of the few research studies to consider management accounting issues in international accounting.
Lars G. Hassel and Gary M. Cunningham (2004) Psychic Distance and Budget Control of Foreign Subsidiaries. Journal of International Accounting Research: Fall, Vol. 3, No. 2, pp. 79-93.