Interdisciplinary accounting research in the Public Sector : Dissolving boundaries to tackle wicked problems

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review and present a contemporary perspective on interdisciplinary accounting research in the context of the public services. Design/methodology/approach – The authors present the experience, interpretations and perspective on the state of this research and how it might usefully proceed. The authors use the concept of knowledge production modes to inform the discussion on how the authors might tackle wicked problems. Findings – The interdisciplinary accounting research project in the public services needs to do more in terms of moving outside the disciplines of accounting scholarship. Shifting to a mode of knowledge production that addresses wicked problems requires the interdisciplinary accounting project to work on specific problems with real world application. The authors must re-envision how the work with practice in the doing of research. Originality/value – This timely perspective argues for a transition in the interdisciplinary accounting research project in the public services before its approach, assumptions and methods become taken-for-granted, potentially missing this opportunity to shift into a more engaged research enterprise.