Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the accounting performance measurement (PM) change process in a Finnish city. Design/methodology/approach – Interpretive case study. Data consisted of 16 semi-structured interviews. Analysis was based on institutional theory, particularly on “new institutional sociology” (NIS) studies. Findings – Budgeting and accounting PM became…
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide insights into the workings of the internal specifier/provider arrangement, a new organizational form that is not required by government mandate but has become common place in the Australian public sector. Design/methodology/approach – The case study empirics take place in a large local government water authority. Data were collected from…
Purpose – The paper’s aim is to research and discuss the issue of the lack of transparency in financial reporting and how companies take advantage of accounting rules in ways that inhibit transparency. Design/methodology/approach – A literature review was carried out to see what had been written and discussed. Various legal cases were studied as well as Securities and Exchange Commiss…
Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the use of costing information in Egypt. Design/methodology/approach – A survey was carried out of 40 Egyptian privately held firms in four sectors (pharmaceutical, foodstuff, chemical, and packing and wrapping industries). Findings – The paper finds that the use and sophistication of costing information in Egypt is limited. No advanced account…
Purpose – This paper seeks to examine the impacts of the new public management (NPM)-oriented management accounting on political control at the Malawian local government level. The objective is to investigate the extent to which NPM-based management accounting practices have increased managerial autonomy and reduced political control. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on …
Purpose – The paper aims to examine a detailed case study of enterprise resource planning (ERP) customization failure in an Egyptian state-owned company (AML) by drawing on new institutional sociology (NIS) and its extensions. It explains how ERP customization failure is shaped by the interplay between institutionalised accounting practices, conflicting institutions, power relations and ma…
Purpose – The objective of this case study is to evaluate the change process, under the old institutional economics (OIE) approach, that had occurred within the management-accounting system of Brazilian bank. The present study examines the efficacy of the change process in management accounting, from the perspective of system users, seven years after its beginning. Design/methodology/appr…
Purpose – This paper seeks to concern itself with the determination of the effect that external factors have on the design and implementation of management accounting systems in a developing economy which has in the last decade experienced fluctuating levels of environmental uncertainty. Design/methodology/approach – This is explained through the use of a case study involving interviews…
Purpose – This paper seeks to introduce, summarise, and reflect on the key themes and findings raised by the seven papers selected for this special issue devoted to management accounting in less developed countries (LDCs). Design/methodology/approach – The conclusions are drawn from desk research generally and the articles contained in this collection. Findings – This paper finds tha…
Purpose – To benchmark the degree to which companies in Slovenia, a country that has experienced success in its transition to a market economy, apply strategic management accounting (SMA) techniques. Design/methodology/approach – Survey data collected in Slovenia has been benchmarked to survey data collected in similarly sized Australian companies. Findings – For the Slovenian sample…
Purpose – The paper investigates the operation of the trust-formal control dynamic in collaborative supply relationships. Design/methodology/approach – A case study of an Australian metal manufacturer (IronBiz) and its collaborative supply relationships is conducted. Findings – Relationships between formal controls (comprising accounting controls and contracts) and trust are develope…
Purpose – Change in the New Zealand state education system during the 1980s brought about a transfer of responsibility for school financial management from the centre to the school level. The purpose of this paper is to report an investigation of how aspects of this devolved responsibility have been operationalised and managed in a secondary school setting. Design/methodology/approach –…
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify brand management accounting as a further approach to accounting for brands and to suggest a number of possible measurement metrics it might incorporate. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is discursive in nature, developing a critique of existing approaches to accounting for brands before considering a number of attributes of a new…
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to understand the process of accounting change in Indonesian local government. It sets to explore how various reform drivers with different interests and preferences compete and cooperate in the process of governmental accounting reform policy formulation in a developing country context. Design/methodology/approach – The paper adopts a qualitative …
Purpose – Aims to examine the four different management accounting systems or sets that existed at the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) during the 1670-2005 period with Burns and Scapens’ institution-based framework of management accounting change. Design/methodology/approach – A case study was used with comprehensive archival evidence coming mainly from the Hudson’s Bay Company Archive…
Purpose – This paper aims to explore how different motives for implementing activity based-costing may affect the implementation process. It focuses on the factors that affect different stages of the implementation process. Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses case studies of two different business units of the same company which approached ABC implementation with different moti…
Purpose – The purpose of this research is to investigate creativity within the context of a more regulated accounting functional area (audit and tax) and a less regulated non-accounting functional area (consulting). Accordingly, this research aims at developing insights into how current cultural assumptions may have to change, if professional challenges requiring more creative behaviours a…
Purpose – Over the past decades, a plethora of papers have been written describing organisations’ reaction to pressure on them to change their practices regarding the natural environment. These papers can broadly be classified into two groups, those research papers interested in organisations’ activities and strategies to deal with environmental issues, and those concerned with the ext…
Abstract: Management accounting change and the changing roles of management accountants have dominated both the professional and academic accounting literature in recent years. This paper aims to contribute to these debates by providing evidence from a sample of management accountants working in both dependent (group) and independent (non-group) organizations in the U.K. One thousand (qual…
Abstract: Purpose – The paper aims at understanding the potential role of management accounting during a public hospital organisational change within a developing country in transition, Egypt. esign/methodology/approach – The paper is based on in-depth interviews, an analysis of documents, and direct observations. It uses a framework informed by institutional theory together with Giddens’…
Abstract: This paper discusses how organisational transformation is situated between design and mobilisation of management control systems. Change occurs even after implementation and design can transform organisational action to the point where organisations may run wild. The procedures developed by the design are actors that over time can transform organisations radically, and this calls …
Abstract: This paper addresses an important but neglected issue – the nature of and evidence for success in management accounting. The case of activity-based costing/management (ABC/M) is used to explore how researchers have gathered evidence of this technique’s success. A variety of approaches have been adopted and all have shortcomings. The problems of obtaining reliable evidence of s…
Abstract: This paper is an attempt to theorise the recent changes to accounting practices in local government in the UK. The principal theory used is regulation theory, which incorporates aspects of hegemony theory and governance. Regulation theory attempts to explain major changes in national economic structures by examining underlying systems of capital accumulation, regulation and hegem…
Purpose – This paper aims to analyse the new standards on Sukuk which was issued by the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institution (AAOIFI) as a result of the strong critics posed by Shaykh Taqi in the end of 2007 that 85 percent of Sukuk issuance were not in line with the teachings of Shariah. Design/methodology/approach – This study reviewed samples of Suku…
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine the need of Islamic Accounting Standards – a review of the literature – for Islamic financial institutions (IFIs). Design/methodology/approach – The basis of the paper was stakeholder theory to analyse the need of accounting standards and to design the conceptual framework as evidenced fromAccounting andAuditing Organization for Is…
Purpose – The aim of this research project is to examine the adoption rate of management accounting tools by businesses in the Gulf Co-operative Council (GCC) countries and attempts to determine if significant variances in the use of management accounting tools by GCC businesses are contingent on a companies’ ownership, legal structure, size or industry sector. The study covers a broad …
Purpose – This paper seeks to explore the reasons for the dominance of Western accounting and neglect of Islamic accounting in Islamic countries, using Jordan as a case study. Design/methodology/approach – The paper reports the results of a series of interviews, using a semi-structured questionnaire, with senior members of the accounting regulatory regime in Jordan. The interview data a…
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide an extension of a previous study by the author into compliance by Islamic banks in Bahrain with accounting standards issued by the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI). Design/methodology/approach – A number of compliance indexes are constructed to better understand compliance by the sample ban…
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the accounting treatment for mudarabah contract and its implications on the reliability and fairness of the financial statements. In addition, the paper also aims to explore the effect of provisions and reserves on profit allocation among unrestricted investment account holders (UIAHS). Design/methodology/approach – This study reviews th…
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore whether there is any difference in the management accounting systems (MAS) of conventional and Islamic Financial Institutions (IFIs) in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach – The paper was based on a survey of 45 conventional and IFIs listed on the Malaysian Central Bank’s web site. The respondents were the chief financial officers (C…
Purpose – The concept of accountability has long been argued in the academic and public policy debate to have been contextually ingrained in the technical processes of accounting and reporting. Both processes provide lenses through which the extent of managerial accountability in the corporate context could be objectively examined. The sacred religion of Islam as a social order with a comp…
Abstract Purpose – The paper seeks to examine the cultural factors that shaped the creation of one of the earliest Islamic banks, discussing the tensions that arise between religious and economic aims. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is a case study of a historically significant institution. The information on which the paper is based was obtained through interviews with partici…
Purpose – The aims of this paper are: first, to draw attention to the issues of displaced commercial risk (DCR) which arise as a result of the risk characteristics of profit-sharing investment accounts (PSIA), the main source of funding of Islamic banks in most jurisdictions; and, second, to present a value-at-risk approach to the estimation of DCR and the associated adjustments in capital…
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to introduce the new journal and articles in the first issue. Design/methodology/approach – The paper attempts to introduce the journal by answering the two “W” questions – what is Islamic accounting and why Islamic accounting research is important. In doing so, it indirectly highlights the need for a specialist journal like Journal of Islamic…
ALL ACCOUNTANTS make extensive use of information technology (IT) in their working lives, and IT skills have long been part of the Accounting and Finance undergraduate degree programme at the University of Glamorgan. This degree scheme was redesigned on a linear basis with effect from September 2002; one of the major changes being to integrate the teaching of management accounting and IT at …
decision makers that affect the likelihood of such failures are sometimes said to cause “systemic risk.” This paper seeks to consider the externality in the choice of ex ante risk management policies by individuals and firms, concerned with private risk, not with their contribution to systemic risk. Design/methodology/approach – The implications for debates over fair value accounting a…
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to focus on the syariah compliant screening methods that are practiced by prominent Islamic finance users, in terms of qualitative and quantitative screening. Design/methodology/approach – This research uses comparative analysis to recognize the similarities and differences of methods among 15 users. Findings – Analysis reveals that there is a ne…
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to ascertain financial analysts’ views regarding the usefulness of a number of items of accounting information via a postal survey. This usefulness is explored in the context of the Egyptian capital market. In addition the usefulness of different types of information is researched, namely: historical vs forward-looking information; mandatory vs volu…
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to suggest a quality cost measurement model which is managed in coordination and conjunction with the accounting reports, thereby creating a comprehensive management control tool for organizations. Design/methodology/approach – The contents of this paper arise from studying the theory, analyzing the evolution and observing the practice restrictions…
Purpose – The aim of this paper is to discuss methods to quantify, in monetary terms, the effects of having a quality management system that can help to make decision making easier by company managers easier. Design/methodology/approach – There are many different management tools and theories which have been developed in both academic and entrepreneurial environments like the quality ma…
Purpose – The aim of this paper is to provide a detailed review on the issues that cover the Budget Law No. 23 of 2005 regarding rules of the general budget and the final accounts preparation in United Arab Emirates (UAE). Design/methodology/approach – The discussion revolved around different issues covered by the above law; those issues include fundamentals, general budget classificati…
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the shortcomings in the compliance of the full-fledged Islamic banks with the Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) disclosure guidelines related to the profit sharing investment accounts (PSIAs). Design/methodology/approach – This study uses interviews and a survey. Findings – It was found that only two out five full-fledged Islamic banks follow…
Purpose – The main purpose of this paper is to investigate the acceptance level of Islamic accounting course by undergraduate students at the Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS). The study used theory of reasoned action (TRA) to analyze the findings. Design/methodology/approach – The primary data for the study are collected using self-administered questionnaires. Altogether, the sample comp…
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the regulatory framework and key regulatory institutions and industry associations in Islamic finance today and highlight areas that merit increased attention. Design/methodology/approach – A wide range of bibliography was reviewed, with particular focus on the standards published by the Islamic Financial Services Board an…
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review the accounting treatments for corporate zakat, as advocated by accounting standards and guidelines, as well as those been practised by relevant corporations. The aim is to determine their appropriateness and adherence to both the Islamic as well as the accounting theoretical perspectives. Design/methodology/approach – Accounting standards…
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the use of humor in university classrooms in Qatar. This paper also seeks to highlight the positive impact of humor on learning and creativity. Design/methodology/approach – Using two different surveys, 101 Qatar University business students, mostly accounting and finance majors, are asked to rate different statements about the use of…
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of cultural values on accounting uniformity and consistency among Arabic nations. Design/methodology/approach – A combination of a survey and analysis of published data on accounting information. Cluster analysis is used to classify the countries on the basis of accounting consistency and uniformity. Findings – The stu…
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between corporate governance practices or mechanisms and firm value, as measured by accounting and market data. Design/methodology/approach – Partial least square analyses were performed on a sample of 355 observations from 199 Canadian listed companies. The greater variability allowed under the Canadian principles-b…
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to, first, analyse to what extent the default probability based on structural models provides additional information and that accounting ratios do not contemplate. Second, to design hybrid models by including the default probability from structural models as explanatory variable, in addition to accounting ratios, in order to evaluate the differences i…
Purpose – While the Greek GAAP is stakeholder-oriented and commonly viewed as a historical cost accounting model, IFRS is shareholder-oriented and generally perceived as a fair-value accounting model. The study seeks to investigate the effects of adopting IFRSs on the financial statements of Greek listed companies. It focuses on major Greek industrial sectors and stock market indices and …