Oriol Amat: Sound Financial Management Leads to Sound Ethics

What if accounting could help change the world? That, at any rate, is the inspiration behind the work of the charismatic Catalan professor Oriol Amat, to whom the University of Montpellier awarded an honorary doctorate on September 20.“Anyone who knows Oriol Amat will not be at all surprised that this professor of accounting has made ethics, sustainability, and social responsibility his favorite topics,” said Gerald Naro, a professor of management sciences at Montpellier Management, during his laudatory speech.

Standing alongside him on stage at the Richter Student Union auditorium, Bernard Augé, a lecturer at Montpellier Management, also wanted to serve as a sponsor for the Spanish economist—and he is not the only one.  “This sponsorship is a joint effort, and I would like to acknowledge my colleagues and friends, Professor Irene Georgescu and University Vice President Alexandre Vernhet,” Bernard Augé noted in his opening remarks.

The Five Dimensions

The ceremony opened with a piece by Catalan composer Vincenç Bou, performed by the duo Hors des sentiers battus. Following introductory remarks by Philippe Augé, president of the University of Montpellier, and Sylvie Sammut, director of Montpellier Management, Bernard Augé took the floor to recount Oriol Amat’s academic career.“Throughout his career, Professor Oriol Amat has strived to balance the many dimensions of a university professorship, namely: contributions to research […], teaching and knowledge transfer, engagement in professional practice, academic leadership, and finally, mentoring and inspiration.”  

He began an exceptionally brilliant career in 1990 at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, where he completed a doctoral dissertation in economics on the key factors for the success of cooperatives. In 1992, he secured a teaching position at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona (UPF), an institution he would remain with for the rest of his career and where he held numerous positions, including: director of the Department of Economics and Business (2003–2005); director of the Center for Quality and Innovation in Education (2006–2011); dean of the UPF’s Barcelona School of Management (2018–2021); and, finally, rector from 2021 to 2023.“His passion for sharing knowledge and his commitment to students are evident in his exceptional teaching approach and his rare ability to make complex subjects accessible to everyone [ …] Oriol Amat is a true mentor.”

A jointly developed master's program

In fact, his long-standing collaboration with Montpellier Management has led to the creation of a degree program: the ISMAA master’s degree, which stands for “International Strategic Management Accounting and Auditing” (gestion stratégique internationale, comptabilité et audit in French).“This collaborative effort promotes international mobility through work-study programs,” explains Bernard Augé. “I believe there are very few programs like this in France; we are one of only two or three examples. This master’s program is offered in partnership with the Barcelona School of Management, and it would not have been possible, dear Oriol, without your support.”

"Meaningful" research

While Oriol Amat is known for his teaching skills, his influence also extends to the field of research, as Gerald Naro has pointed out. Over the course of his 30-year career, the Catalan scholar has authored numerous scientific articles in the most prestigious journals, such as the *Journal of Business Ethics*, the *European Accounting Review*, and the *European Business Review*; he has also written some forty books translated into several languages, including *The Glass Half Full: Learning from Crises and Those Who Have Overcome Them* ( 2020),*Companies That Lie: How They Fudge the Books and How to Spot It Before It’s Too Late (2019), and Universal Basic Income: Analysis of a Disruptive Proposal (2019). “I can’t help but admire the volume and richness of your publications, which translate into an h-index that would make many of our colleagues green with envy,” said the professor from Montpellier.

Even more than the sheer volume of his work, it is Oriol Amat’s research topics that capture attention—even among those new to management science. This is evident in his work on corporate fraud and, in particular, on sincerity—a fundamental accounting principle that demonstrates how this discipline, far from being merely a quantitative exercise, also incorporates a behavioral dimension.“Your research activities are directly linked to major societal issues […] They are extremely meaningful and constitute what we now commonly refer to as ‘impact research,’” noted Gerald Naro. More recently, Oriol Amat has turned his attention to the issue of sustainability in the field of management control, focusing on tools known as the “balanced scorecard.” These tools were conceived by Robert Kaplan, an American professor at Harvard Business School, and further developed by Oriol Amat for the Barcelona Business School. 

Civic Engagement

A direct connection to“major societal issues”that the Catalan has incorporated into his political and civic engagement, as Bernard Augé noted:“In addition to his academic work, Oriol Amat has been active in the professional world as a consultant and advisor. He has been involved in numerous institutions and professional associations. This commitment allows him to effectively bridge the gap between the business world and theory.” In 2002, he founded theCatalan Association of Accounting and Management. In 2011, he became a member of the Advisory Council for the Revitalization and Growth of Catalonia and director of theNational Securities Market Commission. He held both positions until 2015. In 2015, he was elected to the Parliament of Catalonia for a two-year term. He has also served as dean ofthe College of Economists of Catalonia, a member of the advisory board of theBarcelona Chamber of Commerce, and a member of the Spanish Academic Forum on Sustainable Finance, among other roles…

So, in response to the question: Can accounting and management sciences truly help change the world? Gérald Naro replies: “[Oriol Amat’s work] shows us that accounting cannot be reduced to a neutral and apolitical technology […] It represents and conveys a society’s dominant values and ideology; by participating in the creation and dissemination of a reality, it contributes to the shaping of the world. […] If we want to change the world, we must undoubtedly change the way we measure things. The challenge lies in measuring what truly matters.”

These two commendations were followed by an inaugural lecture given by Oriol Amat on the topic “Accounting and Internal Control: Past, Present, and Future,” which can be viewed in the video of the ceremony.