20th Annual GMARS held at CBS
From 21–23 June, Copenhagen Business School hosted the 2026 Global Management Accounting Research Symposium (GMARS) in collaboration with the University of New South Wales and Michigan State University, bringing together international scholars to advance management accounting research through discussion, collaboration and scholarly exchange.
Across three days, participants presented research addressing contemporary challenges in management accounting, performance measurement, governance and organizational decision-making. While the topics varied, a common thread ran throughout the symposium: management accounting research continues to evolve by engaging with increasingly complex organizational environments, where technological change, sustainability, accountability and strategic decision-making intersect.
The symposium opened by welcoming participants to Copenhagen Business School and highlighting the importance of international research communities in strengthening academic quality and fostering long-term collaboration. Throughout the programme, paper presentations were accompanied by in-depth discussions, reflecting the distinctive GMARS format in which feedback and dialogue are central to developing research.
The keynote speakers each offered perspectives on the changing role of management accounting in organizations. Professor Tatiana Sandino (Harvard Business School) explored how accounting information supports organizational decision-making and strategic management. Professor Kalle Kraus (Stockholm School of Economics) reflected on contemporary developments in management control and accounting research, while Professor Victor Maas (University of Amsterdam) examined behavioural dimensions of performance measurement and incentive systems. Together, the keynote presentations demonstrated the breadth of contemporary management accounting scholarship and its relevance to both academic debates and organizational practice.
A defining feature of GMARS is its emphasis on scholarly dialogue. This year's discussant team—including Ranjani Krishnan, Jasmijn Bol, Steve Salterio, Jan Pfister, Michelle Carr, Greg Richins, Annemarie Conrath-Hargreaves, Thomas Borup Kristensen, Thomas Toldbod, Mischa Seiter, Felix Fritsch, Amalie Ringgaard, André Hoppe, Daniel Schaupp, Wenxin Wang, Mandy Cheng and Kerry Humphreys—provided thoughtful comments and constructive feedback that strengthened the discussions throughout the symposium.
The symposium also highlighted the collaborative nature of the GMARS network. Organizing the conference in partnership with the University of New South Wales and Michigan State University reflected the symposium's longstanding commitment to international cooperation and the exchange of ideas across institutions and research traditions.
The organizers expressed their gratitude to the symposium's sponsors—CIMA, FSR – danske revisorer and the Otto Mønsted Foundation—whose generous support contributed to making the event possible.
Looking ahead, the GMARS community also celebrated its continued growth by welcoming the University of Central Florida as the newest partner institution. The announcement marked an important milestone for the network and set the stage for the next symposium, which will take place in Orlando, Florida, on 17–19 June 2027.
As GMARS 2026 concluded, the symposium once again demonstrated that advancing management accounting research depends not only on presenting new ideas, but on creating spaces where they can be challenged, refined and developed collectively. Through open discussion, international collaboration and a shared commitment to research excellence, the symposium reinforced the value of academic communities in shaping the future of the field.