Teoria dos contratos, governança corporativa e auditoria: delineamentos para a discussão em teoria da contabilidade

Abstract

Faced with the gap in accounting theory, which does not have a consolidated body of knowledge, discussing some significant research approaches is a way of fostering a more lucid understanding of the current state of the art in this field of knowledge and pointing the way to the challenges ahead. The aim of this paper is to point out some relevant aspects defined by the positive theory of accounting, despite the theory of contracts and its consequences for the role of accounting in minimizing agency conflicts and reducing information asymmetry, the role of corporate governance in improving internal controls and seeking greater transparency in relations between agent and principal and, not least, the role of auditing in monitoring contracts. Accounting theory has used this theoretical and conceptual framework to explain many of the phenomena on which it “sheds light” and, in view of the new demands pointed out by the regulatory process that accounting is undergoing, given the Sarbanes & Oxley Act itself, it represents a pillar to be carefully observed when studying the various nuances of this challenging and instigating scenario.