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Pierre Donatella

Director of Studies

School of Public Administration
Mail
pierre.donatella@spa.gu.se
Visiting address
Sprängkullsgatan 19
41123 Göteborg
Postal address
Box 712
40530 Göteborg

Senior Lecturer

School of Public Administration
Mail
pierre.donatella@spa.gu.se
Visiting address
Sprängkullsgatan 19
41123 Göteborg
Room number
B343b
Postal address
Box 712
40530 Göteborg

About Pierre Donatella

Pierre Donatella is an Associate Professor in Public Administration. He holds a Ph.D. in Business Administration from the School of Business, Economics, and Law at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

Pierre teaches courses in financial accounting and participates in thesis supervision and thesis examinations. He has authored and co- authored several journal articles on financial reporting and auditing in local governments, often focusing on describing and explaining variations in accounting practices. Additionally, he has written textbooks on financial analysis and financial reporting in local governments.

Beyond teaching and research, Pierre has consistently engaged with the broader community in various capacities. He has undertaken assignments for the Swedish Ministry of Finance, the Swedish National Audit Office, the Swedish Council for Municipal Accounting, the Swedish Agency for Public Management, the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions, and government inquiries.

Current engagements:

  • Director of Doctoral Studies at the School of Public Administration
  • Member of the Department Council at the School of Public Administration
  • Member of Skyrev’s Certification Board (responsible for certifying local government auditors in Sweden)
  • Vice Director at Kommunforskning i Västsverige (a research organization dedicated to conducting and disseminating practical-oriented research on accounting, management, and organisation in Swedish local governments)

Selected publications:

  • Donatella, P., & Karlsson, D. (2024). Why do politicians perceive the same financial conditions differently? Public Administration, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1111/padm.13029
  • Donatella, P., Bisogno, M., Cohen, S., & Stalebrink, O. J. (2024). Guest editorial: From walking to running–What's the next step for earnings management research in public sector organizations?. Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management, 36(3), 269-276. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBAFM-06-2024-230
  • Donatella, P., & Bisogno, M. (2024). Determinants of popular financial reporting: Evidence from Swedish municipalities. Journal of Public Affairs, 24(1), e2909. https://doi.org/10.1002/pa.2909
  • Donatella, P., & Karlsson, D. (2024). Local politicians’ perceptions of financial conditions–do they align with financial indicators?. Local Government Studies, 50(1), 28-47. https://doi.org/10.1080/03003930.2022.2158184
  • Donatella, P., Runesson, E., & Tagesson, T. (2024). To manage or reserve accruals? Evidence from a balanced-budget requirement reform. Public Money & Management, 44(5), 366-375. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540962.2023.2174447
  • Bisogno, M., & Donatella, P. (2022). Earnings management in public-sector organizations: A structured literature review. Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management, 34(6), 1-25. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBAFM-03-2021-0035
  • Donatella, P. (2022). Further evidence on the relationship between audit industry specialisation and public sector audit quality. Financial Accountability & Management, 38(4), 512-529. https://doi.org/10.1111/faam.12278