Actorhood of the European Court of Auditors: a visual analysis

Abstract

PurposeThis paper explores how public audit institutions establish themselves as distinct actors on the public stage through communication practices. By focussing on the journey of the European Court of Auditors (ECA), this paper addresses the following research question: how does a transnational audit institution construct its actorhood through visual communication practices?Design/methodology/approachUsing the theoretical framework of actorhood theory and inspired by the visual accounting methodology, this study explores the ECA actorhood journey through the visual analysis of front pages of its official journal (ECA Journal)from its inception in 2009 up to 2019. The visual analysis is conducted through content analysis and atwo-step cluster analysis.FindingsBy showing how combinations of different visual artefacts have evolvedover time,this study highlights the waystransnational public audit institutions, such as the ECA, construct their actorhood and position themselves on the publicstage. It further reveals the underlying legitimacy mechanisms through which organisations such as the ECA position themselves in the public eye.Originality/valueThis study sheds light on the depiction of individuals and their contexts in interaction with each other and how this interaction reveals the development of the actorhood journey of the ECA over time.