Barbara Voss

My principal research concern is equity within the politics of businesses. My research discusses the inter-related aspects of accounting, politics, regulation and discourses. My work is multidisciplinary and involves how discourses are used, interpreted and applied by business. Traditionally, with respect environmental, social and inclusion discourses, businesses tend to treat these issues as a form of ‘return on investment’ for business to engage with these discourses, they do so, but the nature of the engagement is subject to challenge. My research investigates the politics of businesses within public and private sector contexts at methodological, technical and political levels. My research is informed by post-structural theory, including Laclau and Mouffe, Gramsci, Derrida, Butler, Baudrillard, Foucault, Žižek and I have a strong interest in feminist and post-colonial theories.

My current work is divided into three projects: a) corporate social responsibility and sustainability – involving a deeper understanding of the meanings of sustainability and the politics of sustainability for business and its appropriation of knowledge. In some extent, this project expands the implications of the technologies of governance and discusses issues such as corruption, fraud, political campaigns and marketing with a special focus on Brazil; b) financial accounting and regulation – including discussing the influence of neoliberal and post-colonial policies on financial accounting standards, regulation of auditing and the impacts on businesses and societies; c) diversity – including understanding initiatives and politics concerning diversity in the corporate space, including issues of sexuality, gender, identity and intersectionality. All projects endeavour to uncover the role of accounting through multi-spheres and multi-voices.