Premium
Accounting for Fair Competition between Private and Public Sector Armaments Manufacturers in V ictorian B ritain
Author(s) -
Edwards John Richard
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
abacus
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.632
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1467-6281
pISSN - 0001-3072
DOI - 10.1111/abac.12055
Subject(s) - competition (biology) , factory (object oriented programming) , government (linguistics) , business , accounting , economics , ecology , linguistics , philosophy , computer science , biology , programming language
Failures in rifle supply during the C rimean W ar (1853–56) caused the B ritish government to seek a more reliable method for procuring weapons for military use. Fact‐finding missions to US rifle manufacturers led to the introduction of the ‘ A merican system of manufacturing’ at a purpose‐built factory in north L ondon. The extension of gun‐making facilities at the R oyal S mall A rms F actory, E nfield L ock, was accompanied by major accounting innovations driven by society's desire for ‘cheap and efficient’ government and, within a laissez‐faire environment, the need to ensure fair competition between private and public suppliers of military goods. Accounting practices based on ‘strictly commercial principles’ were then disseminated to other government military manufacturing establishments located at the W oolwich A rsenal. The historical knowledge revealed in this paper adds a new dimension to existing accounting historiography, which focuses principally on the business sector as the driving force for accounting change in B ritain.