Enterprise Resource Planning and a contest to limit the role of management accountants: A strong structuration perspective

The implementation and use of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems raise fundamental questions about the role of management accountants in an organisation. The case studied here, involving an attempt to establish an ERP system in an organisation funded by both the European Union (EU) and the Egyptian government, is an exploration of conflicting beliefs about the role of management accountants. Elements of strong structuration theory (a reinforced version of Giddens’ structuration theory) are used to analyse how the contest over the role of the management accountant in a new organisation was played out during the partially successful attempt to establish ERP in conjunction with a system that was felt to better support the requirements of the EU for performance-based budgeting. Despite the forward-looking dispositions of key actors within the organisation and from the EU, the role of the management accountant here became compressed to the traditional one of cost information collector and provider.     

Enterprise resource planning systems, management control and the quest for integration

This paper analyses how two companies pursued integration of management and control through enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. We illustrate how the quest for integration is an unending process and it is produced concurrently and episodically. Integration is not only about ‘mere’ visibility and control at a distance. ERP systems do not define what integration is and how it is to be developed, but they incur a techno-logic that conditions how control can be performed through financial and non-financial representations because they distinguish between an accounting mode and a logistics mode. A primary lesson from our cases is that control cannot be studied apart from technology and context because one will never get to understand the underlying ‘infrastructure’—the meeting point of many technologies and many types of controls. ERP systems are particularly interesting for what they make impossible, and our cases illustrate how the two organizations in the quest for integration mobilized a number of ‘boundary objects’ to overcome systems-based ‘blind spots’ and ‘trading zones’. The paper points out that management control in an ERP-environment is not a property of the accounting function but a collective affair were local control issues in different parts of the organization are used to create notions of global management.     

Examine ERP post-implementation stages of use and value: Empirical evidence from Portuguese SMEs

There is a great interest among researchers and practitioners in accounting information systems (AIS) value. This is particularly important in cases of systems such as enterprise resource planning (ERP). This paper empirically measures and analyses the determinants of ERP use and value in a single framework, as well as provides empirical evidence from Portuguese small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Drawing upon theories on the process and contexts of information technology (IT) we postulate nine hypotheses. Used the technology–organization–environment (TOE) framework to hypothesize how compatibility, complexity, efficiency, best-practices, training, and competitive pressure explain ERP use. Based on the resource-based view (RBV) theory we hypothesize how ERP use, collaboration and analytics explain ERP value, and its potential contribution for the nature of management control and accounting information systems on Portuguese SMEs. Through structural equation modeling, a data set of 134 web-surveyed firms is used to test the hypotheses. Our empirical analysis leads to six main findings: 1) compatibility, complexity, best-practices, and efficiency are more important determinants for ERP use as well as training and competitive pressure, suggesting that technological, organizational and environmental characteristics are the main drivers of ERP use among Portuguese SMEs. 2) Similarly, collaboration and analytics are more important for ERP value upon use, suggesting that system capability characteristics are the main drivers of ERP value. 3) ERP value benefits from system enhancements to firms' business processes in the post-implementation phases. 4) For Portuguese SMEs the mostly valued metric attained through ERP is management control. 5) Impelled by legislation, Portuguese SMEs are using ERP as the accounting system for management, financial and tax accounting. 6) Portuguese SMEs invest more than 70% of their annual IT budget to ERP use. Together, these findings offer insights into how Portuguese SMEs use and extract value from ERP, and how enhancements positively impact the system's value. Unlike the typical focus on ERP adoption described in the literature, this research focuses on the post-implementation phase, linking actual use with value creation, adding an empirical study to the AIS literature.     

The use of organic models of control in JIT firms: generalising Woodward’s findings to modern manufacturing practices

Prior research indicates that technology plays an important role in the determination of management control systems. A fully developed JIT system represents a radical departure from the traditional approach to organising and managing mass production. In probing the management control implications of JIT, this study extends some well-established concepts from organisation theory to the modern manufacturing practices literature to develop a framework which suggests that mass production firms adopting JIT (a new technology) must abandon a mechanistic management control system and adopt an organic model of control. Findings from three case studies describing the control structures used in JIT firms are also presented as part of the theoretical and hypothesis development. In addition, survey results are reported which are highly consistent with the framework, indicating that Woodward’s findings (Industrial organization: theory and practice (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.) generalise (are robust) to a new technology. Finally, a preliminary examination into whether improvements in certain key areas are higher for those JIT firms utilising an organic model of management was performed and found to be consistent with expectations.     

Enterprise resource planning enabling segmental information reporting practices of UK‐FTSE 100

The ERP impact on management accounting practices has been widely recognised as having a knowledge gap in relation to how it may facilitate Segmental Information Reporting following the International Financial Reporting Standard No. 8’s (IFRS‐8) management approach. This study contributes to filling this gap by investigating the joint effect of the ERP and IFRS‐8 Post‐Implementation Review (PIR) on dimensions: quality, quantity and the reporters’ identity of FTSE‐100 companies in the period 2013–2017. The study found that ERP is significantly and positively associated with the dimensions of segmental information reporting. The implications of this study extend research and the practices of segmental reporting on the importance of ERP in operationalising segmental reporting and in understanding variations.     

基于内部控制视角ERP系统实施的改进研究——以盛威尔公司为例

本文以盛威尔公司为例,围绕内部控制五大要素,对ERP实施中的控制问题进行了深入分析。结果表明,盛威尔公司重ERP而轻内部控制的思想是导致其青岛分公司管理失效的根源,ERP取代不了内控体系对企业运营成功与否所起的关键性作用,ERP在实施中必须同内部控制整合才能发挥其作为先进管理平台的优势。本文基于内部控制视角,结合实际案例提出了ERP实施的改进对策。     

Budgeting, the individual and the capital market: A case of fiscal stress

Budgetary control is a major aspect of management control. It has undergone major shifts of emphasis in both the literature and practice in the later part of the 20th century. A significant influence on the changing practices of this aspect of control has been the growth of and increased influence of the capital market. This paper draws on a detailed field study focusing on the problematic nature of budgetary control in a changing operational environment that acknowledges both the importance, internally, of the organisation members and their contribution to continued growth—and externally the growing influence of shareholders on business operations. The focus of the paper is on the effects of the constant pressure of the share price on the case unit of analysis and how that changed the use of the budgetary control system. This change is illustrated both at a macro level of organisational accountability for predicted results and also as it is driven down the organisation to the level of the individual.     

Capital Allowances and the Incentive to Invest

In recent years many organisations have moved towards a total quality management (TQM) path in their quest for quality. Accounting researchers have become interested in understanding how accounting systems are implicated within a TQM environment. This paper reports on a case study of TQM adoption and changes in management accounting systems (MAS) within a New Zealand construction company. It evaluates organizational approaches to implement TQM as a strategic option and the subsequent change in MAS. The paper suggests that an organisation may initiate TQM practices to promote ‘institutional’ and ‘quality’ culture rather than for purely technical reasons. It also suggests that when an organisation adopts new management practices such as TQM, it may lead to changes in the organisation's internal control mechanisms, such as management accounting and reporting processes.     

Accounting for the control of doctors: Management information systems in hospitals

The paper describes some current and proposed innovations in the activity accounting and cost accounting systems in two Swedish hospitals. Results are reported of interviews with administrators and senior doctors which reveal their attitudes and intensions with respect to the new control information generated by the accounting innovations. The fundamental differences between the professional ethos of the doctor and the managerial ambitions of the administrator are found to remain robust. Nevertheless there is evidence that the new control information may be the focus of some genuine convergence in the outlook of some administrators and some “doctors managers” with some consequent reduction in goal-uncertainty in the organisation. This paper argues that this calls for some revision of existing accounts of the interaction of doctors and administrators in hospital management.     

An exploration of stewardship theory in a Not-for-Profit organisation

The aim of this study is to understand the ability of stewardship theory, as compared with agency theory, to explain motivation of the staff in a Not-for-Profit (NFP) organisation. Agency theory is seen as providing an explanation of motivation in the business sector however we argue that the different cultural and organisational conditions weaken the explanatory power of agency theory in the NFP sector. In pursuing this investigation, we were mindful of Brinberg's (2009) encouragement for a more outward-looking approach to management accounting issues and in particular his call for the use qualitative research methods and to allow practice to inform theory.Interviews were conducted with staff of a NFP organisation to gauge the impact of the introduction of a bonus scheme. The interviews sought to provide answers to three questions: what is the main source of motivation in the organisation? Were tensions created in the organisation by the introduction of the bonus scheme? Was there a change in the culture of the organisation, comprising camaraderie between staff, having fun at work, trust between management and staff, and an attitude of service to clients?Practical implicationsThis finding has important implications for the management of NFPs. To maintain and improve motivation, management needs to look to the goals, or mission, of the organisation – in particular, to see that the goals include care of and service to clients.Originality/valueThe originality and value of this paper stems from the fact that the data was gather in a NFP organisation that had introduced an extrinsic reward scheme.     

Management control in an area of the NCB: Rationales of accounting practices in a public enterprise

This paper explores the rationales offered by participants for the accounting and management control practices in which they are involved. An analysis of these rationales emphasis four characteristics of current practices. Firstly, financial planning and control systems do not appear to be a dominant mode of organisational control for the organisation investigated, physical production planning appearing to be more important. Secondly, the parts of the whole organisation appear to be only loosely coupled, thereby insulating the various parts from each other, and from pressures for change. Thirdly, in such a context, accounting and information generally may be managed either (or both) to enhance ambiguity or to provide legitimacy in (and about) the organisation. The paper concludes, fourthly, by noting the pressures for change which appear to operate through the finance function, thereby enhancing that function's organisational role. The observations and analysis of the paper are based on an in-depth observational study of an Area (i.e. geographical division) of the National Coal Board, in the U.K., and on a detailed study of that organisation's history and environment.     

ERP in action — Challenges and benefits for management control in SME context

ERP systems have fundamentally re-shaped the way business data is collected, stored, disseminated and used throughout the world. However, the existing research in accounting has provided only relatively few empirical findings on the implications for management control when companies implement ERP systems as the technological platform. Especially scarce are the findings concerning the production phase, after implementation, when the information processes, related work practices and the new information contents can be seen as established. In this paper we explored and theorized the benefits, challenges and problems for management control when an ERP system is in use, four years after the implementation. Our findings also illustrate why and under what circumstances these challenges and benefits may exist. For a holistic view of the organization our findings, based on a qualitative case study, are constructed from the viewpoints of people at different levels and functions of the organization. Top management expected a new strategic control system, but due to the many challenges it ended up with merely financial accounting based control. At the operational level, serious challenges lead to inadequate usage of the ERP system. Management control produces the financial basic data and must contend with many practical problems caused by ERP implementation.     

The evolution of management accounting routines in small businesses: a social construction perspective

This paper explores the development of management accounting in small firms through a social construction perspective. Taking Dirsmith’s (1998) (Dirsmith, M. W. 1998. Accounting and control as a solution to technical problems, political exchanges and forms of social discourse: the importance of substantive domain, Behavioural Research in Accounting, 10 (Supplement), 65–77) lead we examine the evolution of control and decision-making processes within four growth-orientated service sector businesses. Key to the perspective is the notion of the owner–manager and his/her employees as creators of management accounting routines that form through a cycle of action, externalization and habitualization. These routines still remain in the control of the originator and are flexible in nature. As the business grows these routines may become objectified into localized management accounting ‘facts’ and they may also be challenged by externally imported accounting conventions. This paper explores the creation of idiosyncratic accounting knowledge and the effects of its transmission over the history of the businesses.     

The Business Values Scorecard within BAE Systems: The evolution of a performance measurement system

This paper explores the evolution of a performance measurement system in BAE Systems, a UK aerospace company. In 1994, the company embarked on a culture change project, which focused the organisation on five key values: performance, people, customers, partnerships, and innovation and technology. Tracing the mechanisms used to implement these values through the culture change project, the study describes the introduction of the “Business Values Scorecard” (BVS), which provided a way of translating the five key values into a coherent set of performance measures. The paper contrasts the BVS in BAE Systems with the balanced scorecard (BSC) of Kaplan and Norton, emphasising the importance of “coherence”, rather than cause-and-effect relationships. Furthermore, the BVS was not simply designed and then implemented; instead it evolved over an extended period of time. Finally, while it reflected the strategic vision of senior managers, the BVS was used as a tool to enable strategy to emerge from within the organisation, rather than as a mechanism for cascading down the hierarchy the strategy previously established by top-level managers. However, although the profitability of the company increased significantly over the period of the culture change project, many other things were also changing; consequently, it is not possible to isolate the effects on profits of introducing the BVS. Nevertheless, the belief within BAE Systems is that the BVS has made an important contribution to the recent success of the company.     

A Matter of Record: Document Management as Part of Good Corporate Governance, Risk Management and Decision-Making

Good governance, risk management and decision-making are facilitated by a proactive approach to document management which includes keeping necessary records but goes beyond that in order to achieve efficient and effective organisational performance. This paper's focus is on organisational knowledge, which is increasingly facilitated by information technology, and communications to capture effectively the intelligence (broadly defined) and understanding of people within the organisation. Documentation of our knowledge assets is a major exercise in risk management and its associated control environment and essential for individual and collective accountability for performance.     

Economic benefits of enterprise resource planning systems: some empirical evidence

The present study provides empirical evidence on the economic benefits of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. We use a modified value chain approach and identify several ratios for each component of the value chain to reflect improvements as a result of the adoption of ERP systems. These financial ratios are tracked for 2 years for a group of companies that adopted ERP systems versus a group of companies that did not adopt ERP. Both univariate and multivariate statistics are used to test for differences. The key result of the present study is that the adoption of ERP systems leads to sustained operational efficiencies and improved overall liquidity. In addition, some support is found for increased profitability 2 years after the adoption of ERP and for improvements in accounts receivable management.     

A Matter of Record: Document Management as Part of Good Corporate Governance, Risk Management and Decision-Making

Good governance, risk management and decision-making are facilitated by a proactive approach to document management which includes keeping necessary records but goes beyond that in order to achieve efficient and effective organisational performance. This paper's focus is on organisational knowledge, which is increasingly facilitated by information technology, and communications to capture effectively the intelligence (broadly defined) and understanding of people within the organisation. Documentation of our knowledge assets is a major exercise in risk management and its associated control environment and essential for individual and collective accountability for performance.     

Environmental labels-the German ‘Blue Angel’

Environmental considerations are becoming increasingly important for consumers and producers. A credible environmental label can only be established if it is issued by a neutral or state organisation on the basis of scientifically derived criteria. This holds true for the German ‘Blue Angel’. A case study of emulsion lacquer paints labelled with the Blue Angel indicates that an environmental label can support a product's market penetration effectively, even if this is accompanied by rising prices. Nevertheless, it is quite clear from survey data, that in general households' willingness to pay higher prices for an environmentally friendly product is unlikely to be strongly pronounced. In the case study there was a scope for demand expansion at an even higher price level because the individual consumer can expect a personal positive advantage by utilizing the labelled product.