This book presents the first non-European and non-North American comprehensive study explaining failures of key merger attempts by Australia’s two leading accounting bodies.

It employs two complementary theoretical constructs namely, boundary work and exclusiveness versus market control, to explain the maintenance of professional boundaries in the Australian accounting profession.

In doing so, it illustrates key historical developments in Australia’s society, economy and business world towards shaping the present structure and operations of the accounting profession, and the remaining professional bodies at the national level.