Dr. Neil Dunne

Assistant Professor, Trinity Business School

nedunne@tcd.ie 3531896 2312 https://www.tcd.ie/business/people/faculty-professors/nedunne/

Biography

Neil is an award-winning interdisciplinary scholar that mobilizes sociological and philosophical concepts to better understand the accounting profession. He is an Assistant Professor in Accounting at Trinity Business School, and authored/directs Trinity's MSc. in Accounting and Analytics. Neil is a Chartered Accountant by training, and prior to entering academia, had many years' experience in both practice and industry. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from University College Cork, a Master's degree in Finance from Trinity with first-class honors achieved, and a PhD from University College Dublin. Prior to joining Trinity, Neil held positions in two other educational institutions in Dublin for almost seven years. He has been involved in course and syllabus design for a range of institutions in Ireland and France. Teaching responsibilities at Trinity include undergraduate and postgraduate modules in financial reporting, for which Neil has won multiple Teaching Excellence Awards. Neil also engages in Doctoral and MSc supervision within the School. Neil's research takes an interdisciplinary approach to audit and financial reporting, and mobilizes concepts such as impression management, strategic framing, institutional logics and Stoic philosophy. In connection with this, he has presented at a range of international conferences, and published in major international scientific journals such as Accounting, Organizations and Society and Critical Perspectives on Accounting. Neil has also acted as a judge at Chartered Accountants Ireland's Published Accounts Awards, and serves on various hubs and committees, including the Scientific Committee for the British Accounting and Finance Association's (BAFA) annual conference, the Committee of BAFA's Interdisciplinary Perspectives Special Interest Group, and ACCA's University Steering Group. He also acts as a mentor to doctoral students via his role as facilitator/mentor for the Irish Accounting and Finance Association's Doctoral Colloquium, and as a mentor for the BAFA Mentoring Scheme.

Publications and Further Research Outputs

Peer-Reviewed Publications
Non-Peer-Reviewed Publications

Auditors in, editor(s)Lucey, B., Maher, E. and O'Brien, E. , Recalling the Celtic Tiger, Dublin, Peter Lang, 2019, pp21 - 22, [Dunne, N.J.]Book Chapter, 2019
IAS 39 in, editor(s)Lucey, B., Maher, E., and O'Brien, E. , Recalling the Celtic Tiger, Dublin, Peter Lang, 2019, pp167 - 168, [Dunne, N.J.]Book Chapter, 2019
Dunne, N.J,. Brennan, N.M. & Kirwan, C.E., Impression management and Big Four auditors: Scrutiny at a public inquiry, Accounting, Organizations and Society, 88, (101170), 2021, p1 - 20Journal Article, 2021, DOI
Dunne, N.J,. Brennan, N.M. & Kirwan, C.E., How the Big Four maintain and defend logic equilibrium at concurrent performances, Critical Perspectives on Accounting, 94, (102479), 2023Journal Article, 2023, DOI
Dunne, N.J., Confronting dark academia: A Stoic strategy of acceptance and resistance, Critical Perspectives on Accounting, 102, (102817), 2025Journal Article, 2025, DOI , TARA - Full Text
Dunne, N.J., Brennan, N.M., & Kirwan, C.E., Uncovering the Nature of Framing: The Big Four audit firms versus a competition regulator, Critical Perspectives on Accounting, 102, (102822), 2025Journal Article, 2025, DOI
Dunne, N.J., 'Artificial intelligence in accounting assessment: Seeking a balance', BAFA Accounting Education Conversations, 2026, -Blog Post, 2026

Dunne, N.J., Calm in the storm: Managing online assessment during a pandemic. Available at https://academic-practice.com/2021/10/04/333/, 2021, -Miscellaneous
Dunne, N.J,. Brennan, N.M. & Kirwan, C.E., Blameless and powerless: How the Big Four react to public scrutiny. Available at https://cobsinsights.org/2021/09/23/blameless-and-powerless-how-the-big-four-react-to-public-scrutiny/, 2021, -Miscellaneous
Dunne, N.J., Exit your comfort zone: five tips for new Programme Managers. Available at https://accountingcafe.org/2024/03/21/programme-managers/, 2024, -Miscellaneous
Dunne, N.J., Call for accountants to teach real-world skills to the next generation, Accountancy Ireland, 57, (5), 2024, p48Journal Article

My research critically examines how powerful actors in accounting exercise and maintain influence. Specifically, I use an interdisciplinary and interpretive approach, applying sociological and philosophical concepts, to study how the 'Big Four' accounting firms influence regulators, competitors and the public. This research programme addresses important questions regarding the role and influence of professional service firms in organisations and society more broadly. My research has appeared in Accounting, Organizations and Society, one of only six accounting journals rated 4* (the highest category) by the Academic Journal Guide, and one of the Financial Times' FT50 journals. My research has achieved academic impact through publication in leading international journals (including Accounting, Organizations, and Society and Critical Perspectives on Accounting), and practitioner impact through publication in outlets such as Accounting Education Conversations, Accountancy Ireland, Accounting Café, and the Council of Business and Society. My developing reputation for research excellence is also evidenced by ongoing requests to review for leading international accounting journals, and the 2021 Research Excellence Award I received at Trinity Business School. I have engaged in research collaborations with colleagues both domestically (for instance University College Dublin, Dublin City University and University College Cork) and internationally (including Montpellier Business School and Durham University). I actively engage with funding opportunities appropriate for my discipline, for instance during my doctoral studies (through the Irish and British Accounting and Finance Associations) and with Chartered Accountants Ireland Educational Trust (CAIET), to whom my coauthor and I will be applying for funding in Q4 2026. My research pipeline demonstrates a trajectory of ongoing research excellence. For instance, I have a paper (sole author) under first-round revise and resubmit at Accounting, Organizations and Society (FT50), as well as eight working papers with domestic and international co-authors.

Professional education and training, Sociology and related studies, International accounting, Accounting theory and standards, Philosophy,

Recognition

Teaching Excellence Award, Trinity Business School 2020
Teaching Excellence Award, Trinity Business School 2015
Teaching Excellence Award, Trinity Business School 2019
Teaching Excellence Award, Trinity Business School 2023
Teaching Excellence Award, Trinity Business School 2017
Sue Hrasky Doctoral Scholarship, Financial Reporting and Business Communication Research Unit 2015
Teaching Excellence Award, Trinity Business School 2026
Nominated for Teaching Award, Trinity College Dublin 2026
Programme Excellence Award (MSc in Accounting and Analytics), Trinity Business School 2026
Nominated for consideration for the Award for Excellence in Research Student Supervision 2025
Winner of Doctoral Research Funding Competition, Irish Accounting & Finance Association 2015
Winner of Doctoral Research Funding Competition, Irish Accounting & Finance Association 2016
Teaching Excellence Award, Trinity Business School 2018
Teaching Excellence Award, Trinity Business School 2025
Teaching Excellence Award, Trinity Business School 2022
Research Excellence Award, Trinity Business School 2021
Teaching Excellence Award, Trinity Business School 2021
Teaching Excellence Award, Trinity Business School 2024

Fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland Present
British Accounting and Finance Association Present
Irish Accounting and Finance Association Present
European Accounting Association Present

Textbook author (questions), Cengage Publishing 2022
Reviewer, British Accounting Review Ongoing
Textbook reviewer, Oxford University Press Ongoing
Textbook reviewer, Pearson Publishers Ongoing
Reviewer, Contemporary Accounting Research Ongoing
Reviewer, Accounting, Finance and Governance Review Ongoing
Reviewer, Accounting, Finance and Governance Review Ongoing
Reviewer, European Accounting Review Ongoing
Textbook reviewer, McGraw Hill Ongoing
Reviewer, Critical Perspectives on Accounting Ongoing