Data Fixation and the Use of Traditional Versus Activity-Based Costing Systems

An important debate in the contemporary accounting literature relates to the relative merits of activity-based versus volume-based product costing methodologies. Traditional volume-based costing systems are said to be flawed and may seriously mislead strategic decision making. Such arguments assume that decision makers use such information in an unproblematic way. This article reports on an experiment designed to investigate whether decision makers are able to overcome data fixation in a setting involving the use of product cost information. In response to criticisms of previous accounting studies of data fixation, subjects received some feedback after each decision, and were rewarded based on performance. The experiment involved subjects making a series of production output decisions based on detailed case information of a hypothetical firm facing different market conditions for each decision. A between-subjects design was utilized with two cost system treatments: activity-based costing (ABC) and traditional costing (TC). It was hypothesized that the group provided with ABC cost data would make 'optimal' decisions and the group provided with TC cost data would overcome fixation. The results of the experiment indicated that there was, in general, evidence of data fixation among TC subjects, but a small number of subjects did adjust to ABC costs. These results are discussed in the light of previous research and some future directions are outlined.     

Activity-Based Costing in Universities—Five Years On

This article describes the current state of costing within the higher education sector, reviewing recent published literature and analysing the progress made by institutions in implementing activity-based costing (ABC). It draws on the findings of two cross-sectional surveys of all UK universities, undertaken in 1993 and 1998/99. The data collected suggests that while implementation of ABC systems has been slow, this might be about to change because of pressures being exerted by funding bodies and central government.     

作业成本法与剩余生产能力管理

随着市场竞争的日趋激烈 ,资源的有效利用已成为衡量企业业绩的一项重要内容 ,而剩余生产能力的控制与管理则是确保资源得以有效利用的手段。本文将在介绍剩余生产能力概念的基础上 ,剖析CAM I② 生产能力模型 ,并进而探索作业成本法 /管理 (ABC/M)在剩余生产能力管理中的应用     

The Association Between Activity-Based Costing and Manufacturing Performance

This study examines the association between activity-based costing and manufacturing performance. Results using a cross-sectional sample of manufacturing plants indicates that extensive ABC use is associated with higher quality levels and greater improvements in cycle time and quality, and is indirectly associated with manufacturing cost reductions through quality and cycle time improvements. However, on average, extensive ABC use has no significant association with return on assets. Instead, we find weak evidence that the association between ABC and accounting profitability is contingent on the plant's operational characteristics.     

Activity-Based Costing and Central Overhead Cost Allocation in Universities: A Case Study

This article examines the development of ABC in university accounting and assesses the contribution it might make to solving the problems associated with central overhead cost allocation systems. A case study using an ABC methodology was developed and applied to library services at the University of Southampton. The results showed substantial differences in the allocation of the central overhead costs as between academic faculties using the model and the existing system. The authors argue that although the ABC approach may overcome some of the problems of overhead allocation and improve the economic efficiency of organizations, there are significant problems with its practical application.     

作业成本制度:银行再造的必然选择

在我国商业银行传统的成本核算中,存在着成本观念淡漠、成本核算对象模糊、成本核算方法简单、成本核算流程滞后、缺乏对客户盈利性的分析等问题,选择作业成本制度是解决这些问题的有效途径。我国商业银行已存在使用作业成本制度的必要性和可能性。     

计算机条件下存货计价方法的取舍与应用

手工处理与计算机处理的差异性以及计价方法之间的替代性，令手工方式下曾经使用过的12种存货计价方法在计算机条件下只有8种有实用价值。计算机条件下存货计价方法的设置模式可分成统一设置模式、类别设置模式和单品设置模式。销售成本结转工作交由计算机完成，一方面引发了传统手工条件下有关销售成本结转观念和技术的变化，另一方面也解决了许多手工条件下难以完成的任务。     

互联网融资vs传统融资

阿里巴巴赴美上市创造了市值神话,堪称互联网创业的一个传奇。值得注意的是,阿里巴巴的一些重要业务并未进入此次的上市范围,尤其是小微金融服务——一个被外界认为是阿里巴巴最具想象力的资产。对阿里金融而言,提供互联网融资服务当属重中之重。那么,互联网融资到底具有什么样的生命力?以此为出发点,本文就互联网融资与传统融资的关系,以及二者在未来如何开展竞争合作等问题进行了探讨。     

Environmental Costing in Capital Investment Decisions: Electricity Distributors and the Choice of Power Poles

Australian electricity distribution businesses use a vast number of poles in their networks. In making their purchase decisions, they can choose between types of pole. It might come from an old-growth forest or a plantation, or be made from cement, steel or fibreglass. This paper discusses how Australian electricity distribution businesses currently account (or fail to account) for the social and environmental implications of the production and use of power poles. The discussion highlights the many factors to be considered in a life-cycle costing exercise. The paper provides suggestions for future practice which have implications not only for electricity distribution businesses, but for industry generally.     

Measuring minimum variance hedging effectiveness: Traditional vs. sophisticated models

This study investigates whether the more sophisticated GARCH based models are better minimum variance hedging strategies than the less sophisticated regression based traditional models. The findings of the study suggest that the traditional models that directly estimate the optimal hedge ratio significantly outperform the more sophisticated models that indirectly estimate the optimal hedge ratio based on timevarying variance-covariance parameters. Although, the sophisticated models seem to have more theoretical appeal, the higher estimation and misspecification errors of these models reduce their hedging effectiveness, making them inferior to the traditional models.     

民营企业的选择:家族治理还是公司治理

目前,我国一部分民营企业选择了家族治理模式,这是其在一定条件下的理性选择.随着企业规模的扩大,民营企业应超越家族治理,向现代公司治理的模式转化.针对民营企业进行股份制改造中普遍存在的问题,对其内部监控和激励约束可以探索性地做出如下安排:董事长、总经理不宜兼任;培育机构投资者;引进稳定的高级技术和管理人才以弥补创新的不足,并允许其以人力资本入股,同时给予股票期权激励,使其拥有较大的股权,形成具有一定影响力的股东;需要一定的制度体系支持.     

Value-at-risk vs. building block regulation in banking

Existing regulatory capital requirements are often criticized for only being loosely linked to the economic risk of the banks' assets. In view of the attempts of international regulators to introduce more risk sensitive capital requirements, we theoretically examine the effect of specific regulatory capital requirements on the risk-taking behavior of banks. More precisely, we develop a continuous time framework where the banks' choice of asset risk is endogenously determined. We compare regulation based on the Basel I building block approach to value-at-risk or ‘internal model’-based capital requirements with respect to risk taking behavior, deposit insurance liability, and shareholder value. The main findings are: (i) value-at-risk-based capital regulation creates a stronger incentive to reduce asset risk when banks are solvent, (ii) solvent banks that reduce their asset risk reduce the current value of the deposit insurance liability significantly, (iii) under value-at-risk regulation the risk reduction behavior of banks is less sensitive to changes in their investment opportunity set, and (iv) banks' equityholders can benefit from risk-based capital requirements.     

Coverage of Criticism of Activity‐Based Costing in Canadian Textbooks*

Textbook authors and publishers face a difficult decision regarding coverage of activity‐based costing (ABC). ABC could be presented in a strictly positive light, because it enjoyed immense popularity when it was introduced in the 1980s and it is still referred to in favourable terms in practitioner journals. On the other hand, ABC can be criticized on practical and theoretical grounds. Surveys report that a minority of firms adopt ABC, and there are indications of dissatisfaction among some users. In addition, ABC requires direct proportionality and the exclusion of common costs, which are difficult conditions to meet. In this paper, we first describe the practical and theoretical material supporting criticism of ABC that is available to be cited by textbook authors. We then review the coverage of this material in the five textbooks that are most widely used in Canadian universities and colleges.     

高级作业成本计算系统及其开发

作业成本计算(Activity Based Costing，简称ABC)的应用越来越普遍，然而，简单ABC系统存在诸多局限：忽视资源供求不平衡性，忽视浪费，忽视基本作业和辅助作业的差别性和成本标的的层次性。高级作业成本计算系(Advanced Activity—Based Costing System，简称AABCS）克服了上述缺陷。     

The regulator’s trade-off: Bank supervision vs. minimum capital

We develop a simple model of banking regulation with two policy instruments: minimum capital requirements and the supervision of domestic banks. The regulator faces a trade-off: high capital requirements cause a drop in the banks’ profitability, whereas strict supervision reduces the scope of intermediation and is costly for taxpayers. We show that a mix of both instruments minimises the costs of preventing the collapse of financial intermediation. Once we allow for cross-border banking, the optimal policy is not feasible. If domestic supervisory effort is not observable, our model predicts a race to the bottom in capital requirement regulation. Therefore, countries are better off by harmonising regulation on an international standard.     

Activity‐Based Costing in a Challenging Business Environment: An Instructional Case

This cross‐disciplinary case study uses the concept of the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) in the upstream petroleum industry to demonstrate the application of activity‐based costing in a challenging international business environment. The case is designed and implemented to encourage students to critically address and solve legal, operational, and accounting challenges from a global perspective. This case is intended to be an appropriate hands‐on, experiential tool for undergraduate degree‐level managerial accounting classes. The learning objectives of this case include (i) to develop an understanding of the PSAs and identify their potential related challenges; (ii) to apply activity‐based costing using a multiple‐step approach in a unique, international, realistic, and challenging environment; and (iii) to identify the gaps between the current case activity‐based costing application and IFRS.