Influence of structural contingency factors on the accounting practices of SMEs in Mali

Abstract

This article examines the influence of structural contingency factors on the accounting practices of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Malian context. To achieve this objective, we opted for a quantitative method. The sample was selected using the non-probability method and the stratification technique insofar as our source population is made up of companies operating in different sectors. The sample is made up of 120 SMEs in Mali. Data were collected by means of a questionnaire sent to SME managers. The data collected was subjected to a descriptive univariate analysis, followed by a multiple linear regression analysis using SPSS26. These two types of analysis were sufficient to verify our hypotheses. The main results obtained show that certain structural contingency factors such as the level of turnover, the age of the business, the ownership structure and the type of financing significantly influence the accounting practices of Malian SMEs. The theoretical implications of the results lie in their contributions to the literature on the environmental factors of the firm based on the theory of structural contingency. In terms of practical contributions, our results will help SME managers to understand the importance of producing financial information. On the other hand, they will enable SME managers to understand that the increase in turnover and the number of years of existence should encourage them to produce more financial accounting data, but also management data that will enable them to take favourable decisions for their companies.

Keywords: Structural contingency; Small to medium enterprise; accounting practice

Classification JEL : G30, M10, M40

Paper type: Empirical Research