Daniela Senkl

Associate Professor, Accounting
Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics, Department of Management
Research Areas
- Sustainability
- Accounting
About
Daniela's research is centered around corporate reporting of sustainability-related aspects such as environmental impacts and community wellbeing, and the limitations of such reporting. She uses critical theories such as feminist theories to explore how accounting shapes and is shaped by society.
Daniela has joined the Department of Management at the University of Guelph in August 2018. Before joining the University of Guelph, Daniela held a position as a Lecturer in Accounting at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland. She holds a PhD in Business Administration from the University of Hamburg, Germany. Daniela has been a visiting scholar at the Public University of Navarra, Spain and the University of California San Diego, USA. She taught introductory and advanced financial accounting classes on undergraduate and master levels, and she encourages students to take a critical perspective on accounting.
She is one of the organizers of the Qualitative Accounting Research Symposium which is held annually in the last week of November, and jointly organized by the University of Guelph, York University, Algoma University and Concordia University.
Daniela is a member of the Editorial / Advisory Board of the Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal (SAMPJ) and the Social and Environmental Accountability Journal (SEAJ). She is also an Associate Editor of the newly created Interdisciplinary Accounting Review.
Together with Julius Otusanya, Marcela Porporato and Fernanda Sauerbronn, Daniela guest-edited of a special section on "Qualitative research in accounting: Navigating dichotomies through alternative knowledge" in theAcademia Revista Latinoamericana de Administracion.
Daniela is also an Academic Advocation Partner and Academic Advisor for r3.0.
Research Interests
Sustainability Reporting, Regulation and Standard Setting, Context-based Sustainability
Feminist Theory and Gender Related Issues in Accounting
Community Wellbeing in the Mining Industry
Integrated Reporting and Integrated Thinking in Co-operative Organizations
Publications
Lauwo, SG., Senkl, D., & Lassou, PJC. (2026). "Rethinking Accountability in Government Procurement in Africa Wihtin the Neoliberal Governing Reforms: Some Evidence From Ghana," Financial Accountability & Management, Vol. 42 Issue 2, pp. 155-171.
Bamber, M., Lassou, PJC., & Senkl, D. (2026). "Goodwill on Trial: Reflections on Its Fundamental Nature and Epistemology," The British Accounting Review, article 101870 (In Press).
Senkl, D. (2024). "Imagining Otherwise: Conceptualising Sustainability in an era of Extractivism through an Agonistic Feminist lens: A response to Gendron (2024)," Social and Environmental Accountability Journal (forthcoming).
Lassou, PJC., Sorola, M., Senkl, D., Lauwo, SG., & Masse, C. (2023). "Monetization of politics and public procurement in Ghana," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Vol. 37 Issue 1, pp. 85-118.
Cooper, DJ., Everett, J., Himick, D., & Senkl, D. (2023). "Rethinking Accounting, Accountability and Accounting Regulation: Concerns about the Proposed Canadian Sustainability Standards Board," Accounting Perspectives, Vol. 22 Issue 2, pp. 215-234.
Senkl, D. & Cooper C. (2023). "On valuing (m)other nature in times of climate crises - A reflection on the non and nom of accounting for (m)other nature," Critical Perspectives on Accounting, Vol. 91, Article 102430.
Cooper, C. & Senkl, D. (2016). "An(other) truth: a feminist perspective on KPMG’s true value," Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal, Vol. 7 Issue 4, pp.494-516.
Book chapter:
Cooper, C., Romi, A., & Senkl, D. (2022). Accounting, sustainability and the feminine. In: Adams, C. (Eds.) "Handbook of Accounting and Sustainability" (pp. 136-156). Edward Elgar.
Other:
Sommer, F., Klink, J., Senkl, D. & Hartmann M. (2015). "Determinants of web-based CSR disclosure in the food industry", International Journal on Food System Dynamics, Vol. 6 Issue 1, pp. 24-31.
Bassen, A. & Senkl, D. (2011). "ESG: environmental, social, governance issues", Die Betriebswirtschaft, Vol. 71 Issue 5, p. 506.
Bassen, A. & Senkl, D. (2010). "Leistungsindikatoren nachhaltiger Unternehmensfuehrung", Controlling, Vol. 22 Issue 4-5, pp. 256-261.
Funding
Daniela has received a SSHRC Partnership Engage Grant to explore the transformative potential of Context-Based Sustainability.
CAAA has funded her project on Integrated Thinking and co-operatives (with Daphne Rixon, Saint Mary's University, PI).
Her research on community well-being of mining communities in Ghana has received funding from the Institute for Sustainable Commerce in Guelph.
This funding has allowed Lily Taylor-Stackhouse to join the project team as research assistant. In this video, Lily is showcasing the results of their summer project here.
Daniela recently received mitacs funding to work towards a better understanding of women's experiences in the mining industry.
For the Qualitative Accounting Research Symposium with the theme "Challenging 'unconscious' dichotomies", Daniela received SSHRC funding throug the Connection Grant.
Daniela has received funding for undergraduate and graduate research assistants on a university and faculty level (watch a short video from the 2020 URA showcase event here) and she has received funding from the SSHRC institutional (exchange) grant to conduct research on the project "On valuing (m)other nature in times of climate crises" (see publications).
Awards and Honours
Outanding Paper Award, 2016, Emeraldi Literati Network Awards for Excellence. For 'An(Other) truth: A feminist perspective on KPMG's True Value'
Outstanding Reviewer Award, 2020, for continued support of the Sustainablity Accounting, Management and Policy Journal
Paul MacPherson Teaching Award of Excellence, 2020, issued by the Lang School of Business and Economics (also nominated in 2024)
Outstanding Support to Student Accessibility Services, 2020 and 2024
Nominated for Professor Recognition Award 2024-2025 (recognizes excellence in supporting first-year students)
Current Courses
For current courses, please check University of Guelph's WebAdvisor.
Upcoming courses in the academic year 2026/27:
BUS6300 Sustainable Business Practices
ACCT4020 Sustainability Accounting and Accountability
Taught courses at UofG:
ACCT1220 Introduction to Financial Accounting
MGMT3020 Corporate Social Responsibility
MGMT3320 Financial Management
ACCT4340 Accounting Theory
I have supervised students in Graduate and Undergraduate Readings Courses and Independent Study Courses (incl. BUS4550; MGMT4991; UNIV4800; BUS6800).
Courses taught at previous institutions include (among others): Accounting and Financial Analysis (MSc); Advanced Financial Accounting; Accounting Technologies; Corporate Finance & Investment Decisions; Financial Markets and Instruments; B.A. Honours Seminar (designed & taught): Sustainability Accounting.
Supervision:
I currently do not have the capacity to accept graduate students for supervision.
In the News
"Everyone should have a say on the future of green accounting" -- article by David Cooper, Daniela Senkl and Jeff Everett published in The Conversation, March 15, 2022. Available here.
"To protect the planet, we must put the economy in its rightful place" -- article by Susan Koswan refers to our Conversation piece from March 15, 2022. Available here.
"Hidden eco warriors: Academics who research and teach accounting are quietly championing environmental efforts" -- article by Diane Peters in University Affairs, July 17, 2024. Available here.