Accounting & Finance Staff Listing

Dr Patricia Martyn

B.Comm, Dip, A.C.M.A., PhD.

Contact Details

Lecturer Above The Bar
Accountancy & Finance
Room 354
Cairnes Building
University of Galway
E: patricia.martyn@universityofgalway.ie

Biography

Patricia is a lecturer in the Accountancy & Finance Discipline in the J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics at the University of Galway. Patricia is a graduate of the B. Comm and Higher Diploma in Systems Analysis at the University of Galway. Following this, Patricia obtained her professional qualification with the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA). Patricia completed her PhD at the University of Galway in 2018. Her thesis focused on the convergence of management control systems and middle manager actions in multinational organisations. She is interested in how different modes of control work in combination to shape middle management behaviours. Patricia's work received the Outstanding Paper Award in 2017 from the Journal of Accounting and Organisational Change. She received a best paper award in the Accounting, Finance & Corporate Governance category in 2018 at the Irish Academy of Management conference. Patricia is currently co-supervising doctoral students who are undertaking PhDs in the area of management control.

Patricia is the Programme Director for MSc International Accounting & Analytics at University of Galway. She serves as External Examiner for a number of third level institutions.

Patricia teaches in the area of management accounting and has experience of teaching at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. She places a strong emphasis on practical examples while covering technical content to foster interest in the potential for management accounting techniques to enhance firm performance. Before joining University of Galway Patricia taught in the Kemmy School of Business, University of Limerick. Prior to that she worked in the Finance function in Shannon Development while completing her CIMA qualification. Patricia also worked as a consultant in the IT industry where she gained significant experience as a Systems Implementation Consultant. She worked with a range of international and national clients such as Stannah Lifts, The Irish Times and Vistakon.

Patricia is the Programme Director for MSc International Accounting & Analytics at University of Galway. She serves as External Examiner for a number of third level institutions.

Research Interests

Patricia's research interests are in the field of management control systems. She is interested in how different modes of control work in combination to shape middle management behaviours. Specifically, her interests lie in how value systems can be a powerful component of management control particularly in the context of pressure to deliver competing goals.

She completed her PhD at the University of Galway in 2018. Patricia's PhD research focuses on the operation of management control systems at middle manager level specifically examining how management control systems act as levers to impact on how middle managers implement strategy and champion change.

Patricia is a member of Performance Management Research Cluster at NUI Galway's Whitaker Institute of Innovation and Societal Change. In conjunction with the Irish Accounting and Finance Association, Patricia has hosted a number of research seminars at University of Galway including: Questioning the numbers - Epistemic authority, narrative and performance evaluation (Professor Matt Hall, Monash University, Melbourne) and Positioning Studies for Theoretical Contributions - Experiences Shared (Professor Teemu Malmi, Aalto University Helsinki).

Patricia was a guest Co-Editor on a special issue in the Accounting, Finance and Governance Review Journal entitled 'Innovations in Research Methods in Accounting, Finance and Governance'.

Peer Reviewed Journals

	Year	Publication
	(2021)	'Introduction to Special Issue on Innovations in Research Methods in Accounting and Governance' Brennan, N. and Martyn, P. (2021) 'Introduction to Special Issue on Innovations in Research Methods in Accounting and Governance'. Accounting, Finance and Governance Review, 27 (1) [Details]
	(2021)	'Using Quantitative Analytical Methods to Support Qualitative Data Analysis: Lessons Learnt During a PhD Study' Martyn, P. (2021) 'Using Quantitative Analytical Methods to Support Qualitative Data Analysis: Lessons Learnt During a PhD Study'. Accounting, Finance and Governance Review, 27 (1) [Details]
	(2016)	'Strategy and Control: 25 Years of Empirical Use of Simons’ Levers of Control Framework' Martyn, P, Sweeney, B and Curtis E. (2016) 'Strategy and Control: 25 Years of Empirical Use of Simons’ Levers of Control Framework'. Journal of Accounting and Organizational Change (JOAC), 12 (3):281-324 [DOI] [Details]

Conference Publications

	Year	Publication
	(2023)	*Irish Accounting & Finance Association Annual Conference* Patricia Martyn, Breda Sweeney (2023) Middle managers' strategic roles: Control problems and management control combinations Irish Accounting & Finance Association Annual Conference [Details]
	(2023)	*12th Conference on Performance Measurement & Management Control* Patricia Martyn, Breda Sweeney (2023) WHEN, WHY AND HOW DO MIDDLE MANAGERS COMBINE FORMAL AND INFORMAL CONTROL PRACTICES? - 12th Conference on Performance Measurement & Management Control [Details]
	(2022)	*European Accounting Association Annual Congress* Martyn, P. and Sweeney, B. (2022) The use of informal controls and evasion of formal controls by middle managers European Accounting Association Annual Congress [Details]
	(2022)	*EIASM New Directions in Management Accounting* Martyn, P and Sweeney, B. (2022) Middle manager strategic roles: Control problems and management control combinations EIASM New Directions in Management Accounting [Details]
	(2019)	*Irish Accounting and Finance Association Annual Conference* Martyn, P, Sweeney, B and Lillis, A. (2019) Mobilising Lofty Aspirations into Tangible Outcomes: Middle Managers’ Role as a Pivotal Link between Beliefs Systems and Diagnostic Control Systems within the Levers of Control Framework Irish Accounting and Finance Association Annual Conference [Details]
	(2021)	*European Accounting Association Annual Conference* Martyn, P, Sweeney, B and Lillis, A. (2021) Framing of results controls and management of tensions between multiple performance criteria European Accounting Association Annual Conference [Details]
	(2021)	*Management Accounting as a Social and Organizational Practice* Martyn, P, Sweeney, B. and Lillis, A. (2021) Framing of results controls and management of tensions between multiple performance criteria’ Management Accounting as a Social and Organizational Practice [Details]
	(2019)	*EIASM 10th Conference on Performance Measurement and Management* Martyn, P., Sweeney, B. and Lillis, A. (2019) Strategy Implementation at Middle Manager Level: How Beliefs Systems and Diagnostic Control Systems Combine to Mobilise Action EIASM 10th Conference on Performance Measurement and Management Nice, , 18-SEP-19 - 20-SEP-19 [Details]
	(2018)	*Irish Academy of Management Annual Conference* Patricia Matyn Breda Sweeney (2018) ‘Change agents’ and ‘loyal implementors’: An empirical exploration of the interconnections between Floyd & Wooldridges’ typology of middle management strategic influence and Simons’ levers of control framework Irish Academy of Management Annual Conference [Details]
	(2016)	*Irish Accounting & Finance Association annual conference* Martyn, P., Sweeney, B and Curtis, E. (2016) Combining predictable goal achievement and creative innovation at middle management level: Influence of beliefs systems some initial findings Irish Accounting & Finance Association annual conference [Details]
	(2015)	*European Network of Research in Organization and Accounting Change* Martyn, P., Sweeney, B and Curtis, E. (2015) Creative innovation and predictable goal achievement: Tension and the use of management control systems at middle management level European Network of Research in Organization and Accounting Change [Details]
	(2015)	*Irish Academy of Management* Martyn, P., Sweeney, B. and Curtis E (2015) Creative innovation and predictable goal achievement: Tension and the use of management control systems at middle management level Irish Academy of Management [Details]
	(2014)	*British Accounting and Finance Association Annual Conference* Martyn, P., Sweeney, B and Curtis E (2014) The role of management control systems in managing exploration and exploitation: the middle management perspective British Accounting and Finance Association Annual Conference [Details]
	(2014)	*Management Accounting Research Group Annual Conference* Martyn, P., Sweeney, B and Curtis E (2014) MCS: role at middle manager level in managing predictable goal achievement and creative innovation Management Accounting Research Group Annual Conference Aston Business School, [Details]
	(2014)	*Irish Accounting and Finance Annual Conference* Martyn, P., Sweeney, B. and Curtis E (2014) Middle Management: The Role of Management Control Systems and the Dual Objectives of Efficiency and Creative Innovation Irish Accounting and Finance Annual Conference Queens University Belfast, [Details]
	(2014)	*JE Cairnes PhD Colloquium* Martyn, P., Sweeney, B and Curtis E. (2014) Middle Management, Management Control Systems and the Dual Objectives of Exploration and Exploitation JE Cairnes PhD Colloquium NUI Galway, [Details]
	(2013)	*Irish Accounting and Finance Association Annual Conference* Martyn, P., Sweeney, B and Curtis, E (2013) The use of management control systems to manage the competing demands of creative innovation & predictable goal achievement: the middle management perspective Irish Accounting and Finance Association Annual Conference Institute of Technology Tallaght, [Details]
	(2012)	*EIASM conference on Manufacturing Accounting Research* Sweeney, B; Curtis, E; Martyn P (2012) Challenges in the Application of Simons’ Levers of Control Framework EIASM conference on Manufacturing Accounting Research [Details]
	(2012)	*Irish Accounting and Finance Association Annual Conference* Sweeney, B; Curtis, E; Martyn, P. (2012) Simons Says: A critical analysis of the literature on Simons’ Levers of Control Framework Irish Accounting and Finance Association Annual Conference [Details]
	(2011)	*Management Accounting Research Group Conference in association with the Management Control Association* Sweeney, B; Curtis, E; Martyn, P. (2011) Simons Says: A critical analysis of the literature on Simons’ Levers of Control Framework Management Accounting Research Group Conference in association with the Management Control Association [Details]
	(2008)	*Centre for Learning and Teaching Annual Conference, NUI Galway* Martyn, P. and O’Regan, E. (2008) A Blended Learning Approach for Accounting Students Centre for Learning and Teaching Annual Conference, NUI Galway [Details]
	(2008)	*Irish Accounting and Finance Association Annual Conference* Martyn, P and O' Regan, E (2008) Management Accounting: A Blended Learning Approach Irish Accounting and Finance Association Annual Conference [Details]
	(2008)	*Annual Irish Educational Technology Users' Conference* Martyn, P. and O’Regan, E (2008) Creating a Constructive Blended Learning Environment for Accounting Students Annual Irish Educational Technology Users' Conference [Details]

Conference Contributions

	Year	Publication
	(2015)	10th Conference of European Network for Research in Accounting and Organisational Change, Patricia Martyn (2015) Conference Theme: In Search of Competitiveness and Sustainable Value: Designing Accounting practices to manage Business and Social Innovation. [Conference Organising Committee Member], 10th Conference of European Network for Research in Accounting and Organisational Change, NUI Galway , 03-JUN-15 - 04-JUN-15. [Details]

Thesis

	Year	Publication
	(2018)	Examining the Role of Management Control Systems at Middle Manager Level. Patricia Martyn (2018) Examining the Role of Management Control Systems at Middle Manager Level. Thesis [Details]

Honours and Awards

	Year	Title	Awarding Body
	2018	Best Conference Paper	Irish Academy of Management Anuual Conference 2018
	2017	Outstanding Paper in the 2017 Journal of Accounting & Organizational Change	Emerald Literati Network Awards for Excellence: by the journal’s editorial team

Professional Associations

Association	Function	From / To
Irish Accounting and Finance Association	NUIG Council Member & Communications Secretary	/
Irish Academy of Management	Member	/
British Accounting Association	Member	/
Chartered Institute of Management Accountants	Member	/

Committees

Committee	Function	From / To
Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting)	Programme Board Member	/
MSc. in Corporate Finance	Programme Director	/
MSc. in International Accounting & Analytics	Programme Board Member	/

Community Engagement

	Title	Type	From / To
	Other	Whitaker Webinar Series Presentation	23-MAR-22 / 23-MAR-22

Other Activities

	Description
	External Examiner Cork Institute of Technology (April 2017-2020)
	External Examiner Letterkenny Institute of Technology (2018 to 2021)

Teaching Interests

Patricia teaches Management Accounting and Analytical & Communication Skills Development in the School of Business & Economics. These courses are affiliated with the professional qualifications of Chartered Accountants Ireland (CAI), Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), Certified Public Accountants (CPA) and Charterted Financial Analysts (CFA).

Patricia's teaching philosophy centres on developing in students a comprehensive knowledge of accounting and how its concepts & techniques can be used beyond the classroom to manage and grow all types of organisations. Her teaching draws extensively on contemporary business examples to provide a contextual frame for students' learning.

In addition, Patricia is interested in new pedagogies for teaching and assessing accounting content and has participated in a number of initiatives. She has successfully designed and delivered management accounting modules via the medium of blended learning. Recently she led the development of an Analytical & Communication Skills Development module for Accounting & Finance postgraduate students. The objective of this module is to ensure that students possess the necessary skills for a transformed profession. Patricia has also coordinated a guest lecture series, inviting finance industry experts to NUI Galway, bringing contemporary industry ideas, challenges and opportunities to life in the lecture hall.

Modules Taught

Term/Year	Module Title	Module Code	Subject / Desc
2	Skills for Accounting Research and Practice	AY537	Postgraduate module developing research and professional skills for Masters of Accounting students
2	Introduction to Management Accounting	AY105	Undergraduate management accounting large group
1	Management Accounting 1	AY207	Large group undergraduate management accounting module
2	Analytical and Communication Skills Development	AY5127

Internal Collaborators

	Name	Description of Collaboration
	Sharon Cotter	Second supervisor for PhD study.
	Professor Breda Sweeney	Co-author

External Collaborators

	Name	Organisation / Institute	Country	Description of Collaboration
	Professor Niamh Brennan	University College Dublin	IRELAND	Joint guest editors for Special Issue in Accounting, Finance & Governance Review Journal. Special Issue on Innovations in Research Methods in Accounting and Governance.
	Professor Anne Lillis	University of Melbourne	AUSTRALIA	Co-author