Findings – The discussion points towards how small practice, as a segment whose history and
characteristics reflect the different struggles that have led to the creation of the professional
accounting body and marked its subsequent evolution, is far from insignificant. Segmenting the
profession in categories related to “size” offers an opportunity to deal with an under-investigated
aspect of professions’ sociology and history, which encapsulates its inherent diversity and hierarchy.
Whilst the professional body may replicate the hierarchy that structures broader society, the meaning
of small itself, within a hierarchy of organizations, is also a relative concept. It is politically charged,
and must be delicately managed in order to maintain harmony within the polarized professional space.
Originality/value – The small practitioner has been much overlooked in the accounting literature,
and the literature on the professions has overemphasized aspects of its cohesiveness. The authors
contribute a revitalized agenda for researchers to explore the dynamics of heterogeneity and unity in
the professional body, by focusing a lens on the small practice and extending the “segments in
movements” premise beyond the functional division of professions.
Keywords Categorization, Globalization, Professional identity, Hierarchy, Accounting profession,
Small practitioner
Paper type Conceptual paper