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Article
Publication date: 6 May 2024

Antje Bruesch and Martin Quinn

While extant research does mention performance management systems as antecedent to a management accountant’s role, and that there is tension between both, there is little detailed…

Abstract

Purpose

While extant research does mention performance management systems as antecedent to a management accountant’s role, and that there is tension between both, there is little detailed research. Thus, this paper aims to investigate the extent to which a performance management system interacts with the role of a management accountant.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is a cross-sectional field study, using interviews with paired management accountants and operative managers in 16 multinational organisations in Germany. The perspectives of both management accountants and operative managers are analysed separately. The role episode model theoretically informs the study.

Findings

The findings reveal management accountants distinguish between three roles of scorekeeping, controlling and business support, similar to prior literature. By contrast, operating managers are concerned with the value-adding and non-value-adding character of activities and thus support a dichotomy of management accountants’ roles. Drawing upon the role episode model, this study elucidates the interplay between performance management systems and the roles of management accountants, which encompass both role-taking and role-making dynamics. Additionally, this study contributes to management control literature by operationalising the components of a performance management system framework and linking them to the role of management accountants, as proposed by role antecedents in previous literature. The study also uncovers factors influencing role-taking and role-making, alongside examining the repercussions of role consensus or conflict based on the interaction with the operating manager.

Research limitations/implications

This paper is subject to the normal limitations of case study research and generalisation. The findings may also be influenced by the cultural context of the study.

Originality/value

An updated role episode model is presented, highlighting further performance management systems’ components. The study also reveals factors enabling and/or inhibiting the management accountants’ business support role and the impact of role consensus/conflict.

Details

Qualitative Research in Accounting & Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1176-6093

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 April 2024

Wajde Baiod and Mostaq M. Hussain

This study aims to focus on the five most relevant and discursive emerging technologies in accounting (cloud computing, big data and data analytics, blockchain, artificial…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to focus on the five most relevant and discursive emerging technologies in accounting (cloud computing, big data and data analytics, blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics process automation [RPA]). It investigates the adoption and use of these technologies based on data collected from accounting professionals in a technology-developed country – Canada, through a survey.

Design/methodology/approach

The study investigates the adoption and use of emerging technologies based on data collected from accounting professionals in a technology-developed country – Canada, through a survey. This study considers the said nature and characteristics of emerging technologies and proposes a model using the factors that have been found to be significant and most commonly investigated by existing prior technology-organization-environment (TOE)-related technology adoption studies. This survey applies the TOE framework and examines the influence of significant and most commonly known factors on Canadian firms’ intention to adopt the said emerging technologies.

Findings

Study results indicate that Canadian accounting professionals’ self-assessed knowledge (about these emerging technologies) is more theoretical than operational. Cloud computing is highly used by Canadian firms, while the use of other technologies, particularly blockchain and RPA, is reportedly low. However, firms’ intention about the future adoption of these technologies seems positive. Study results reveal that only the relative advantage and top management commitment are found to be significant considerations influencing the adoption intention.

Research limitations/implications

Study findings confirm some results presented in earlier studies but provide additional insights from a new perspective, that of accounting professionals in Canada. The first limitation relates to the respondents. Although accounting professionals provided valuable insights, their responses are personal views and do not necessarily represent the views of other professionals within the same firm or the official position of their accounting departments or firms. Therefore, the exclusion of diverse viewpoints from the same firm might have negatively impacted the results of this study. Second, this study sample is limited to Canada-based firms, which means that the study reflects only the situation in that country. Third, considering the research method and the limit on the number of questions the authors could ask, respondents were only asked to rate the impact of these five technologies on the accounting field and to clarify which technologies are used.

Practical implications

This study’s findings confirm that the organizational intention to adopt new technology is not primarily based on the characteristics of the technology. In the case of emerging technology adoption, the decision also depends upon other factors related to the internal organization. Furthermore, although this study found no support for the effect of environmental factors, it fills a gap in the literature by including the factor of vendor support, which has received little attention in prior information technology (IT)/ information system (IS) adoption research. Moreover, in contrast to most prior adoption studies, this study elaborates on accounting professionals’ experience and perceptions in investigating the organizational adoption and use of emerging technologies. Thus, the findings of this study are valuable, providing insights from a new perspective, that of professional accountants.

Social implications

The study findings may serve as a guide for researchers, practitioners, firms and other stakeholders, particularly technology providers, interested in learning about emerging technologies’ adoption and use in Canada and/or in a relevant context. Contrary to most prior adoption studies, this study elaborates on accounting professionals’ experience and perceptions in investigating the organizational adoption and use of emerging technologies. Thus, the findings of this study are valuable, providing insights from a new perspective, that of professional accountants.

Originality/value

The study provides insights into the said technologies’ actual adoption and improves the awareness of firms and stakeholders to the effect of some constructs that influence the adoption of these emerging technologies in accounting.

Details

International Journal of Accounting & Information Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1834-7649

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 May 2024

Obafemi Olekanma, Christian Harrison, Adebukola E. Oyewunmi and Oluwatomi Adedeji

This empirical study aims to explore how actors in specific human resource practices (HRPs) such as line managers (LMs) impact employee productivity measures in the context of…

Abstract

Purpose

This empirical study aims to explore how actors in specific human resource practices (HRPs) such as line managers (LMs) impact employee productivity measures in the context of financial institutions (FI) banks.

Design/methodology/approach

This cross-country study adopted a qualitative methodology. It employed semi-structured interviews to collect data from purposefully selected 12 business facing directors (BFDs) working in the top 10 banks in Nigeria and the UK. The data collected were analysed with the help of the trans-positional cognition approach (TPCA) phenomenological method.

Findings

The findings of a TPCA analytical process imply that in the UK and Nigeria’s FIs, the BFDs line managers’ human resources practices (LMHRPs) resulted in a highly regulated workplace, knowledge gap, service operations challenges and subjective quantitatively driven key performance indicators, considered service productivity paradoxical elements. Although the practices in the UK and Nigerian FIs had similar labels, their aggregates were underpinned by different contextual issues.

Practical implications

To support LMs in better understanding and managing FIs BFDs productivity measures and outcomes, we propose the Managerial Employee Productivity Operational Definition framework as part of their toolkit. This study will be helpful for banking sectors, their regulators, policymakers, other FIs’ industry stakeholders and future researchers in the field.

Originality/value

Within the context of the UK and Nigeria’s FIs, this study is the first attempt to understand how LMHRPs impact BFDs productivity in this manner. It confirms that LMHRPs result in service productivity paradoxical elements with perceived or lost productivity implications.

Details

International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-0401

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 April 2024

Osamu Tsukada, Ugo Ibusuki, Shigeru Kuchii and Anderson Tadeu de Santi Barbosa de Almeida

The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between Lean manufacturing and Industry 4.0 for small and medium size of enterprise in Japan and Brazil.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between Lean manufacturing and Industry 4.0 for small and medium size of enterprise in Japan and Brazil.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted a quantitative survey (20 companies in Japan and 30 companies in Brazil) combined with a qualitative interview (2 companies in Japan and 15 companies in Brazil).

Findings

According to the quantitative study, 90% of them practice Lean manufacturing and 40% of them practice Industry 4.0. In the qualitative study in Brazil, four managers responded that the Lean manufacturing is a prerequisite for Industry 4.0 since any production process with waste cannot be productive, even with sophisticated digitalization technology.

Originality/value

The authors explored further the relationship between “defensive Digital Transformation (DX),” which is based mainly on Lean manufacturing, and “offensive DX,” which relates to customer value creation through Industry 4.0. This study clarifies the relationship and plays as a roadmap to develop better the manufacturing from current status to the vision of Industry 4.0.

Details

International Journal of Lean Six Sigma, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-4166

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 May 2024

Cesar Omar Balderrama-Armendariz, Sergio Esteban Arbelaez-Rios, Santos-Adriana Martel-Estrada, Aide Aracely Maldonado-Macias, Eric MacDonald and Julian I. Aguilar-Duque

This study aims to propose the reuse of PA12 (powder) in another AM process, binder jettiinng, which is less sensitive to the chemical and mechanical degradation of the powder…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to propose the reuse of PA12 (powder) in another AM process, binder jettiinng, which is less sensitive to the chemical and mechanical degradation of the powder after multiple cycles in the laser system.

Design/methodology/approach

The experimental process for evaluating the reuse of SLS powders in a subsequent binder jetting process consists of four phases: powder characterization, bonding analysis, mixture testing and mixture characteristics. Analyses were carried out using techniques such as Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and stress–strain tests for tension and compression. The surface roughness, color, hardness and density of the new mixture were also determined to find physical characteristics. A Taguchi design L8 was used to search for a mixture with the best mechanical strength.

Findings

The results indicated that the integration of waste powder PA12 with calcium sulfate hemihydrate (CSH) generates appropriate particle distribution with rounded particles of PA12 that improve powder flowability. The micropores observed with less than 60 µm, facilitated binder and infiltrant penetration on 3D parts. The 60/40 (CSH-PA12) mixture with epoxy resin postprocessing was found to be the best-bonded mixture in mechanical testing, rugosity and hardness results. The new CSH-PA12 mixture resulted lighter and stronger than the CSH powder commonly used in binder jetting technology.

Originality/value

This study adds value to the polymer powder bed fusion process by using its waste in a circular process. The novel reuse of PA12 waste in an established process was achieved in an accessible and economical manner.

Details

Rapid Prototyping Journal, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-2546

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 1 May 2024

Subhanjan Sengupta, Sonal Choudhary, Raymond Obayi and Rakesh Nayak

This study aims to explore how sustainable business models (SBM) can be developed within agri-innovation systems (AIS) and emphasize an integration of the two with a systemic…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to explore how sustainable business models (SBM) can be developed within agri-innovation systems (AIS) and emphasize an integration of the two with a systemic understanding for reducing food loss and value loss in postharvest agri-food supply chain.

Design/methodology/approach

This study conducted longitudinal qualitative research in a developing country with food loss challenges in the postharvest supply chain. This study collected data through multiple rounds of fieldwork, interviews and focus groups over four years. Thematic analysis and “sensemaking” were used for inductive data analysis to generate rich contextual knowledge by drawing upon the lived realities of the agri-food supply chain actors.

Findings

First, this study finds that the value losses are varied in the supply chain, encompassing production value, intrinsic value, extrinsic value, market value, institutional value and future food value. This happens through two cumulative effects including multiplier losses, where losses in one model cascade into others, amplifying their impact and stacking losses, where the absence of data stacks or infrastructure pools hampers the realisation of food value. Thereafter, this study proposes four strategies for moving from the loss-incurring current business model to a networked SBM for mitigating losses. This emphasises the need to redefine ownership as stewardship, enable formal and informal beneficiary identification, strengthen value addition and build capacities for empowering communities to benefit from networked SBM with AIS initiatives. Finally, this study puts forth ten propositions for future research in aligning AIS with networked SBM.

Originality/value

This study contributes to understanding the interplay between AIS and SBM; emphasising the integration of the two to effectively address food loss challenges in the early stages of agri-food supply chains. The identified strategies and research propositions provide implications for researchers and practitioners seeking to accelerate sustainable practices for reducing food loss and waste in agri-food supply chains.

Details

Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1359-8546

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 April 2024

Thong Quoc Vu and Malik Abu Afifa

This study aims to investigate the factors affecting technological innovation intentions at banks listed in Vietnam, a developing country, to develop business activities and…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the factors affecting technological innovation intentions at banks listed in Vietnam, a developing country, to develop business activities and accounting benefits according to the trend of the 4th Industrial Revolution.

Design/methodology/approach

To collect and analyze the data for this study, qualitative and quantitative methods were used. Specifically, 20 finance and banking experts and 45 managers in the field of information technology were interviewed in qualitative research over a period of three months. Then, 1,000 questionnaires were sent to banks within six months, with the final sample for quantitative research being 324 respondents. Finally, the structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to check the hypotheses. Regarding the tools used, the qualitative study used a semistructured questionnaire to collect information. Meanwhile, SPSS software was used to analyze quantitative research information, including checking common method bias, nonresponse bias, evaluating scale quality and checking SEM.

Findings

The findings show that the usefulness, ease of application, credibility, innovation and efficiency of technology have certain impacts on technological innovation intentions at banks listed in Vietnam. Using the SEM analysis, the results showed that the five factors had a favorable influence on the technological innovation intentions. More specifically, this study proposed adding an efficiency factor, and the results showed that it has the greatest impact on technological innovation intentions.

Research limitations/implications

This study would be considered a continuation of prior studies because it provides empirical evidence for business models at banks listed in developing countries (for example, Vietnam) and so provides useful advice for bank management not only in Vietnam but across Asia. In fact, bank managers should consider introducing new technology as appropriate to make their reports more clear and up-to-date, therefore improving their performance. Banking managers, in particular, should focus on enhancing the bank’s application technology indicators to obtain a competitive edge.

Originality/value

This is a pioneering study that uses a combination of the reasoned action theory, planned behavior theory, transaction cost theory and unified theory of acceptance and use of technology to expand knowledge about technological innovation intentions at listed banks in the context of a developing country. The study also discovered and added the efficiency factor as a key factor affecting the intention to innovate technology at listed banks. These contribute to improving the literature of technological innovation intentions.

Details

Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2514-9342

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 May 2024

Debyani Mukherjee Rawal

This research paper investigates the theoretical frameworks encompassing a nuanced analysis of the digital divide in the Indian educational context, recognising that it is not…

Abstract

Purpose

This research paper investigates the theoretical frameworks encompassing a nuanced analysis of the digital divide in the Indian educational context, recognising that it is not merely a matter of technology access but also the ability to effectively use the resource for enhancing learning outcomes. This research provides valuable insights for fostering a more equitable and digitally inclusive learning environment by integrating conceptual insights with empirical evidence. The New Education Policy (NEP), India 2020 firmly emphasises the appropriate integration of technology into the teaching-learning process to develop relevant competencies. The pertinent question is, for India to conquer the second digital divide challenge, is the pace of technology accessibility and skill development sufficient?

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is a desk research, using secondary data from the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE+), the Indian Government database of schools. A structured dataset has been created for all years, where states are grouped in descending ranking order of availability of infrastructure and teachers trained. A colour key segregates the States into three zones demonstrating their different levels of performance – high (green), moderate (blue) and low (yellow). The purpose is to identify state/s that have moved from one zone to another and, thereafter, analyse the reasons behind the movement.

Findings

Almost all states remained in the same digital resource availability zone for the four years studied, except for a limited few. Despite government interventions through higher budget allocation and targeted policies, growth rates of teacher training in computer usage slowed down post-COVID-19. A high positive correlation between Teachers' training in computer usage and the availability of computer and Internet facilities in schools indicates that an increase in digital infrastructure in schools is highly linked to teachers' training in computer usage and would ultimately translate into better use of digital resources to impart equitable education opportunities.

Research limitations/implications

Primary data collection through interviews might have added to the critical findings. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to test the proposed propositions further on a case-by-case basis for any state under consideration.

Practical implications

Enhancing digital infrastructure in schools and building digital competence in teachers must be understood in the context of the learning organisation and the beneficiaries' attitudes at the meso-level to expand stakeholder motivation towards digital internalisation. This requires continuous engagement with education institutions as professional learning organisations, which will thereby help develop a decentralised context for teacher competency building. Collaboration, continuous monitoring of the outcomes of professional development programs, and sharing best practices are crucial in improving teacher readiness for digital education.

Social implications

Access to tangible resources, such as computers, Internet connectivity and educational software, and developing intangible resources, such as teacher digital competencies, will play a pivotal role in shaping students' learning experiences. By studying the discrepancies in digital resource accessibility and teacher technology adoption, this research endeavours to add to the efforts towards enhancing the educational landscape.

Originality/value

This paper seeks to address a critical issue in the Indian education system and contribute to the ongoing effort to prevent the widening of the second and third digital divide in schools, and help achieve UN SDG Goals 4 and 10.

Details

Journal of Professional Capital and Community, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-9548

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 May 2024

Peter Wang’ombe Kariuki

The study evaluates the influence of human capital efficiency (HCE) and market power on bank performance.

Abstract

Purpose

The study evaluates the influence of human capital efficiency (HCE) and market power on bank performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employs two measures of bank performance: profitability and stability. Unbalanced panel data of 35 banks operating in Kenya for 2005–2020 collected from published financial statements is utilized. The study employs the feasible generalized least squares (FGLS) method in the analysis and the two-step system generalized method of moments (GMM) for robustness check.

Findings

The study affirms an inverted U-shaped relationship between market power and bank performance. The effect of market power on bank profitability is enhanced when a bank has highly efficient human capital. Further, HCE significantly impacts bank stability for banks with low HCE. Interestingly, a further increase in HCE narrows the net interest margins for banks with high HCE, conferring welfare benefits to customers as interest rate spreads shrink.

Practical implications

This study provides important insights into the role of human capital in bank performance. First, banks ought to invest in promoting HCE through training and development. As regulators root for bank consolidation, attention to HCE is imperative for fostering profitability and stability.

Originality/value

The study fills an essential gap in the literature by evaluating the effect of firm-level market power on bank performance in an emerging market. We adopt a novel stochastic frontier estimator to generate the Lerner index. Further, this is the first study known to the authors to evaluate the effect of market power on bank performance in the context of human capital efficiency variations.

Details

African Journal of Economic and Management Studies, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-0705

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 April 2024

Mohd Hanafi Azman Ong, Norazlina Mohd Yasin and Nur Syafikah Ibrahim

The purpose of this paper is to investigate a distinct set of characteristics that influence Muslim customers’ intentions to purchase Ar-Rahnu Islamic financing contract in…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate a distinct set of characteristics that influence Muslim customers’ intentions to purchase Ar-Rahnu Islamic financing contract in Malaysia.

Design/methodology/approach

The study studied the impact of perceived value, perceived quality, perceived financial advantages, religious commitment and product knowledge on the purchase intention Ar-Rahnu Islamic financing contract using a quantitative research approach. A Google Form-based online survey was created and distributed through Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, among others. The survey data were analysed using structural equation modelling with a partial-least-square estimation property (PLS-SEM).

Findings

The study results suggested that Muslim customers in Malaysia had a greater propensity to buy Ar-Rahnu Islamic financing contract. Analysis of the data revealed that perceived value, perceived quality, perceived financial benefits and religious commitment had direct effects on the desire to buy Ar-Rahnu Islamic financing contract in Malaysia. In addition, the results reveal that religious commitment, perceived quality and perceived financial benefit are the top three important factors in explaining Ar-Rahnu Islamic financing contract buying intentions in this country.

Practical implications

Muslim customers may use Ar-Rahnu Islamic financing contract as a short-term credit alternative to enhance their financial standing. Ar-Rahnu Islamic financing contract generates a substantial quantity of credit demand and supply, which not only allows Muslim customers to adhere to Islamic standards but also contributes to the expansion of the economy. The result would aid and advise Ar-Rahnu finance resources and legislators in measuring the efficacy of the program in Malaysia, especially among Muslim customers.

Originality/value

Ar-Rahnu Islamic financing contract as a financing alternative has been explored extensively, but this study takes a whole new approach to the subject by looking at dimensions of perceived value, perceived quality and perceived financial benefit along with individual product knowledge and religious commitment. Consequently, this study will contribute to the understanding of how Muslim customers will respond to the Ar-Rahnu Islamic financing contract and will assist financial institutions in increasing the possibility that Muslim consumers would acquire Ar-Rahnu Islamic financing contract.

Details

Journal of Islamic Marketing, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1759-0833

Keywords

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