ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book discusses the effects of regulation and to problematize the effects on various aspects of banks as organizations, especially their strategies, financial accounting, and management control systems. It contributes with a Swedish, or North-European, perspective on issues ultimately connected to both the possibilities and limitations of banking regulation. Fredrik Nilsson and Anna-Karin Stockenstrand discuss demands for uniformity and uniqueness specifically stem from the two different information systems of financial accounting and management control. The importance of organizational culture implies that we could add another dimension to the Nilsson and Stockenstrand framework. The framework covers what D. Corbett could be said to describe as outward accountability, upward accountability, and downward accountability. Even though R. S. Kaplan is focusing on risk management systems, he believes that our general knowledge of the inner workings of financial institutions like banks is too limited.
