The effects of adopting the Balanced Scorecard on shareholder returns

Many firms have adopted the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) as a way to implement strategy and measure firm performance. This paper uses a long-horizon event study methodology to examine the relationship between BSC adoption and shareholder returns. Using a matched pair design, we show that firms who adopt the BSC significantly outperform firms that do not adopt the BSC over a three year period beginning with the year of adoption. Our results are robust for different matching criteria. There is also evidence that firms earn greater excess returns after adoption of the BSC than before. These results provide strong evidence that the BSC is an effective strategic management tool that leads to improved shareholder returns.     

Balanced scorecard implementation in an Italian local government organization

This article explains how action research was used to analyse the implementation of the balanced scorecard (BSC) model to meet the legislative requirements of strategic control reporting in Italian local government. The BSC model was modified for local government and was used for political action, non-financial measures, budget allocations, and to meet legislative requirements. This article offers some important lessons for policy-makers and practitioners about adopting and implementing a BSC model.     

The influence of strategy map communications and individual differences on multidimensional performance evaluations

Multidimensional performance evaluation systems such as the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) were developed to overcome the documented tendency of managers to focus almost exclusively on short-term financial performance measures while disregarding or de-emphasising other short-term and/or long-term non-financial performance measures. Evidence suggests, however, that implementation of many of these systems has not achieved desired outcomes. Cogent communication of a corporation's goals and management's strategy to achieve those goals can be expected to influence employee ‘buy-in’ and the subsequent use or resistance to multidimensional performance measures. In this study we examine the role of strategy maps in communicating goals and strategy. We also examine individual differences (tolerance of ambiguity and functional background) that we believe also influence individuals to be more (or less) receptive to the guidance of strategy maps. An experiment was conducted with 165 experienced professionals enrolled in MBA programmes in Spain and the US. Our experimental results indicate that a strategy map reflecting integrated dependencies can de-bias evaluations of certain groups of individuals, who have high tolerance for ambiguity and have a financial work background. Implications and suggestions for future research are also provided.     

A descriptive analysis on the implementation of Balanced Scorecards in German-speaking countries

This paper provides systematic research-based evidence on the usage of the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) concept in German-speaking countries. We develop three primary types of BSC usage reflecting the successive phases in the evolution of the BSC concept and of its implementation in practice. This typology ranges from the BSC’s origin as a multidimensional framework for strategic performance measurement that combines financial and non-financial measures to its advanced usage as an integrated strategic management system that describes strategy by a cause-and-effect logic and that is linked to the reward system. We use this theoretical framework to analyze the spread, implementation and benefits of the different types of Balanced Scorecards. Moreover, the impact of size and industry on BSC usage is analyzed. Our sample consists of a clearly defined segment of the most important publicly traded firms in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and we achieved an overall response rate of 87%.     

The judgmental effects of strategy maps in balanced scorecard performance evaluations

We examine whether supplemental information displays affect decisions made using a common strategic performance measurement system, the balanced scorecard. A distinguishing feature of the balanced scorecard (BSC) is the number and diversity of its metrics. To effectively formulate a decision from such a complex information set, managers must view these measures within their strategic context ( [Kaplan and Norton, 1993] and [Kaplan and Norton, 1996] ). However, academic studies indicate that problems in communication and comprehension of the strategic logic underlying the scorecard hinder its implementation and use ( [Lipe and Salterio, 2000] , [Malina and Selto, 2001] , [Ittner et al., 2003a] and [Ittner et al., 2003b] ). We investigate whether a supplemental information display, in the form of a strategy map, results in performance evaluation judgments consistent with the recognition of relations between performance metrics and strategy. Strategy maps are causal diagrams depicting temporally-separate and non-linear relations between scorecard performance measures and overriding strategic objectives. As predicted, we find that performance evaluation decisions are more consistent with the achievement of strategic objectives when participants are provided with strategy maps.     

平衡计分卡的有用性:一项实验研究

一直以来,人们对平衡计分卡能否有效地将企业战略与业绩评价相结合争论不休。作为平衡计分卡的新发展阶段,战略地图的出现为本文的研究提供了契机。本文基于实验研究方法,以战略地图描述业务单元战略,分析实验参与者在评价业务单元业绩时的指标选择。本文发现,实验参与者均较为依赖共性指标;相对而言,有战略信息的实验参与者更加依赖个性指标,而无战略信息的实验参与者更加依赖共性指标。     

An experiential approach to learning about the balanced scorecard

The balanced scorecard (BSC) is an integrated strategic performance management framework that helps organizations translate strategic objectives into relevant performance measures. This paper offers guidelines for implementing an experiential approach to learning about the BSC through the study of “real-world” organizations. This approach emphasizes hands-on experience with the team-based, cross-functional, and strategic aspects of management accounting designed to address several educational objectives, including: understanding organizational strategy and critical success factors; gaining insight into how to measure performance; and developing oral presentation and team-building skills. Specific examples of classroom materials to facilitate implementation of this approach in management accounting courses at both graduate and undergraduate levels are also offered.     

Innovation in entrepreneurial organisations: A platform for contemporary management change and a value creator

PurposeThis article examines the significance of innovation to organisations following strategies of entrepreneurial orientation. In particular, the study looks at the significance innovation adds to the implementation of contemporary management control systems (MCSs) and to improved performance in these organisations.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative analysis was conducted based on a random sample of Australian manufacturing companies. A structural equation modelling approach was adopted to test the study hypotheses.FindingsResults suggest that innovation mediates the relationships between entrepreneurial strategy and each of participative budgeting, the balanced score card (BSC), total quality management (TQM), just in time (JIT), and organisational performance. The study does not indicate a significant relationship between entrepreneurial strategy and activity based costing (ABC), even when innovation is in place.Originality/valueThe study empirically tests the vital role of innovation in the organisational adaptive cycle to entrepreneurial strategies, described earlier by Miles and Snow (1978). Further, the study validates a multi-dimensional strategy model first suggested by Langfield-Smith (1997).     

Umsetzungserfahrungen gesetzlicher Krankenkassen mit der Balanced Scorecard: Ein Ergebnisbericht der Gründe,Vorgehensweise und Probleme

The method of the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) is very popular in the management of companies and was recently also adopted by several German statutory sickness funds. For the latter, empirical studies concerning the process of implementation are still missing. The present paper analyses the reasons, approaches and problems of the BSC introduction in statutory sickness funds based on 13 guideline-based expert interviews. In addition, a common model of the BSC implementation is tested. The results show sickness funds specific variations and particularities of the reasons, approaches and problems concerning the implementation of the BSC, but also overlaps with other models and studies are found. The present study can provide a guideline for health insurances and other organisations that are planning to introduce the BSC.     

A Balanced Scorecard for State U's Facilities Management Division?*

This case introduces students to building and implementing a balanced scorecard (BSC) in a setting with which they are familiar — cleaning, maintenance, management, and construction of a university's buildings and grounds. Students are asked to construct or critique a BSC for the facilities management division of a university. This may lead to a discussion of the causal linkages implied in the BSC and how one would implement a BSC in a governmental setting.     

The Balanced Scorecard and its Possibilities: The Initial Experiences of a Singaporean Firm

This paper examines the multiple possibilities that arise from the translation of actors' hopes and aspirations when implementing a balanced scorecard. The issue is studied in the context of a Singaporean security company in the initial stages of implementing a BSC. We find that the BSC is a 'messy' object, being different things to different people. This messy object is a result of the many possibilities that the BSC might become which ultimately require translating into the local setting. As such, this view challenges Kaplan and Norton's idea of the BSC as a generic and unitary object of performance measurement that is readily applicable to a variety of situations.     

Firm‐ and Individual‐Level Determinants of Balanced Scorecard Usage*/DÉTERMINANTS DE L'USAGE DU TABLEAU DE BORD ÉQUILIBRÉ AU DOUBLE ÉCHELON ORGANISATIONNEL ET INDIVIDUEL

The factors influencing the organizational as well as the individual decision to utilize the balanced scorecard (BSC) approach have not been widely researched. In the first part of this paper, we study BSC adoption at the organizational level while utilizing a multifaceted perspective of socio‐psychological, economic, and resource‐based influences; specifically, we investigate the perceptions of desirability, urgency, and feasibility of BSC adoption. Our findings show that customer norms, competitor norms, and organizational resources are significant predictors of BSC adoption. In the second part of the paper, we discuss individual‐level aspects of utilization decisions. Here, we explore the impact of perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and awareness on the intentions to use the BSC approach. Our findings show that both awareness of BSC capabilities and perceived ease of use are significantly related to perceived usefulness. However, only perceived usefulness is significantly related to intentions to use the BSC. Implications for research and practice are discussed.     

平衡计分卡对中国企业财务绩效影响的研究(英文)

平衡计分卡(BSC)对中国企业财务绩效起什么作用,文献没有实证报导。本研究假设,使用平衡计分卡的企业获得更好的财务绩效,挑选25对中国大型企业,比对2008、2009年度的财务绩效数据,结果发现使用BSC的企业并不比未使用BSC的企业有更好的表现,也未发现BSC变量与企业财务绩效具有明显相关性。结论推翻了假设。     

An Experimental Study on the Effect of Budget Information on Balanced Scorecard Preparer Individual Learning

We examine whether budgets affect individual learning in balanced scorecard (BSC) preparers for the purposes of scorecard target setting. Control systems research has called for studies examining the impact of multiple controls on common decision‐making phenomena. Given this, are there other cybernetic controls (budgets) that might influence the decisions of BSC preparers? From an experimental study involving 235 postgraduate university candidates, our findings suggest that the awareness of progressively greater budget information amongst BSC users in high uncertainty environments engenders greater individual learning about the organisation, altering BSC preparer target‐setting choices. Interestingly, this learning does not necessarily lead to better budget‐actual outcomes, but informs BSC preparers of the constraints facing the organisation from a funding ‘supply side’ perspective. The oft‐criticised budget, even within high uncertainty conditions, facilitates learning in a BSC system originally purported to replace or advance the traditional system. Finally, we contribute more broadly to a growing literature evidencing the appropriateness of budgets in flexible environments, by arguing for its impact on other performance management systems.     

Ganzheitlicher strategiefokussierter Managementansatz für Finanzdienstleistungsunternehmen: Relevanz und Aspekte der Einführung

The Balanced Strategy Scorecard represents a further optimization of the original Balanced Scorecard. Nowadays the BSC in terms of a BSSC is already used by some enterprises. Also companies in the finance service sector gather first experiences with this concept. The introduction and consistent application of this modern management instrument is of particular importance to the finance services sector with its dynamic environment. A continuous communication of a strategy throughout the entire organisation as well as a pragmatic and efficient implementation are essential preconditions for long-term success of finance service companies.     

For which purposes do managers use Balanced Scorecards?: An empirical study

The accounting literature frequently publishes articles that establish the adoption rates of accounting information systems, such as the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) or Activity-Based Costing, and subsequently examines the factors that drive this adoption. However, much less is known about the specific purposes for which these systems are used.In this paper, I examine the purposes for which managers use the Balanced Scorecard. Data was collected from a survey administered in 19 Dutch firms which had indicated that they used a BSC. The survey resulted in 224 responses from individual managers. Using exploratory factor analysis on Doll and Torkzadeh's [Doll, W.J., Torkzadeh, G., 1998. Developing a multidimensional measure of system-use in an organizational context. Information and Management 33, 171–185.] instrument of multidimensional MIS usage, I find that managers use the BSC for: (1) decision-making and decision-rationalizing; (2) coordination; and (3) self-monitoring.In the second step, I consider drivers of BSC usage for the three different purposes. These drivers are dimensions of evaluation style, alternative controls that are used in the organizational unit, and the receptiveness of managers to new types of information. I find that BSC usage for decision-making and decision-rationalizing purposes is driven by the degree of action controls used and manager's receptiveness to new information types. BSC usage for coordination purposes is driven by the emphasis placed on managerial evaluation of subordinates and the manager's receptiveness to new types of information. Finally, BSC usage for self-monitoring purposes is driven by the emphasis placed on managerial evaluation.     

从BSC的应用看我国企业绩效管理的误区

平衡计分卡(BSC),在国外已经被证明是非常有效的战略性绩效管理工具,但是在我国许多企业应用的结果大多是失败。无论使用BSC或者其他的绩效管理方法,我国企业的绩效管理水平依然没有明显改善。本文认为,我国企业对绩效管理的认识,对BSC等绩效管理方法工具的认识存在误区。本文从BSC的应用,分析这些误区,给出提高绩效管理水平的建议。     

BSC与EVA相结合的企业绩效评价研究——基于GP企业集团的案例分析

随着我国市场经济体制的完善和国有企业改革的推进,我国国有企业所面临的内外部环境发生了巨大变化,企业绩效管理模式也在改变。GP企业集团是一个有50多年历史的国有施工企业,在一定程度上体现了我国国有企业的绩效管理现状,本文通过对该企业集团的绩效考核现状进行分析,归纳了GP企业集团现行绩效管理体系存在的问题,并针对其不足,重新构建了基于BSC与EVA相结合的绩效评价指标体系,并对新旧指标体系的考核结果进行了对比分析,为我国类似国有企业集团提供绩效评价改进的新思路。     

ADOPTION OF THE CONCEPT OF A BALANCED SCORECARD WITHIN NSW HEALTH: AN EXPLORATION OF STAFF ATTITUDES

This paper reports on staff attitudes towards the adoption of a Balanced Scorecard (BSC) concept in the New South Wales Department of Health in Australia. Survey results reveal that staff's perceived usefulness (at the individual level) and perceived ease of use (PEU) have a significant influence on general attitudes, and intention to use the BSC. Participation also had a significantly positive relationship with PEU, and directors, managers and non‐clinicians have a more positive perception of BSC usefulness. The implications of these findings and areas for further research are then discussed.     

The differential effect of environmental dimensionality,size, and structure on budget system characteristics in hotels

Whilst the service sector is a major component of world economies, research into, and thus our understanding of, how management control systems function in the service environment is limited. To advance our knowledge and understanding of the role of budgets in service organizations, this organizational level study extends prior manufacturing context research investigating the influence of contextual variables on budget system characteristics (BSC) to hotels. Since the nature of service firm operations is highly dependent on the external environment, perceived environmental uncertainty (PEU) is likely to be a key contextual variable. Consistent with the organizational theory literature, this study conceptualizes PEU more correctly as a multi-dimensional construct and seeks to ascertain the influence of components of PEU on the BSC of hotels, the chosen service industry. Based on a sample of 106 hotels and using path analyses, the results indicated that: (1) different dimensions of PEU have differential effects on BSC and organizational structure, (2) hotel size has a significant effect on BSC, (3) hotel size does not significantly influence structure, and (4) hotel organizational structure has significant influences on BSC. The finding for PEU raises implications for future researchers studying PEU.