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This paper reports the developments of a project cost control system (PCCS) for construction projects to (1) measure its current level of cost control maturity, (2) examine the relationships between elements within PCCS processes and (3) identify improvement areas.

This study adopts a mixed approach of descriptive analysis and partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to measure the current maturity level of PCCS and evaluate the relationships between elements within PCSS to identify improvement areas. Further importance-performance matrix analysis (IPMA) of priority constructs was conducted to improve a target construct and identify the most important areas of specific actions at indicator levels. The results of IPMA revealed the contrast that has the greatest importance on the performance of others so that the recommendations can be made accordingly. Data collected in New Zealand were used to develop the research model.

This study develops structural and measurement models with the constructs including pre-control, in-control and post-control processes, enablers and their proposed interrelationships. Then, data from survey of 184 experienced project cost control team members reveal that post-control has the lowest maturity or weakest areas in the PCCS. Data analysis facilitated by PLS-SEM confirmed that all the constructs in the structural model have positive and significant relationships with each other and suggested that systematic cost analysis reports, communication, skills and experience, defining roles and responsibilities, and top management's support should be the highest priority for improving the PCCS in a more effective manner.

This study presents one of the earliest attempts to develop and test an integrated model that links sub-processes in PCCS and their enablers. Secondly, this research adds to the construction project management literature by empirically verifying the roles of enablers in enhancing maturity level of PCCS.

The paper presents the initial groundwork for the development of a research agenda around the management control implications of employing workers with intellectual disability.

The point of departure of this foundational enquiry is primarily prior analyses and critiques of empirical research into the employment of workers with intellectual disabilities.

The authors extend the management control framework advanced by Tessier and Otley (2012) by offering insights relating to the benefits and costs of both compliance as well as performance roles of management control systems (MCS). As such, the authors advocate potential avenues for further empirical investigation and also offer four broad ways in which the use of MCS is implicated in the employment of individuals with an intellectual disability by recognising that achieving compliance outcomes or achieving performance outcomes both carry associated benefits and costs.

The extent to which management control research has engaged with the context of workers with intellectual disability is limited. However, this paper identifies some of the salient considerations underlying an agenda for further research in this area.

The employment of workers with intellectual disabilities is by no means unprecedented. In many Western economies, there have in recent times been significant disability policy shifts, recognising the key role of employment in the financial security and social participation of people with disabilities, including those with intellectual disabilities. A key performance indicator stated in these policy positions is an increase in workforce participation for this group of people. However, an increase in the employment of such individuals is likely to represent significant implications in terms of prevailing conditions as well as new management control configurations that may be required.

The paper overviews existing knowledge about the employment of workers living with an intellectual disability and identifies areas relating to the management control implications of such arrangements within which more research is required.

New service businesses carry opportunities for industrial companies. The different cost management and management control implications of those service businesses deserve attention, which is a widely under-researched area in management accounting and control literature. Digital twins could hold potential in unveiling and supporting those new service business opportunities, as a unique approach of this paper. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to examine the possibility and potential for creating a digital twin of a service, especially to unveil the management accounting and control implications of the digital twin in developing new service businesses.

This paper investigates the potential of a digital twin in unveiling cost and control implications of new service businesses by examining the characteristics of a digital twin in the service business development context. The paper use an in-depth interventionist case study, where the designed animations illustrate the possibilities of a digital twin of a service. The animations showing the service process characteristics were first used as a communication tool and eventually those animations were actively used in customer cases for different purposes. This motivated the idea for examining the implications of such animations representing a digital twin of a service.

The paper provides empirical insights regarding the potential for developing and using a digital twin of a service for different cost management and management control purposes. The digital twin of a service may include all main details of a new service offering, simulating the functionality of a service, hence making the performance and the implications of the new service concept clear for all the stakeholders. The digital twin of the service enables defining the processes, setting targets and helps communication about the value generation. Thus, they represent a significant toolkit for the management accounting and control function of the manufacturers.

This paper is among the first attempts to understand the digital twin of the service. The paper is unique in providing financial and control implications of digital twins also in the context of service business development. The in-depth interventionist approach enabled an exceptional exploration process on the subject. The article paves the way toward further research on managing the digital twins of services in the future.

The primary objective of introducing nonstate ownership into state-owned enterprises (SOEs) is to enhance corporate performance. This study explores how nonstate ownership affects corporate performance, emphasizing agency costs as the primary mechanism.

Using data from 2010 to 2019 for listed SOEs, the authors measure nonstate ownership based on shareholding ratios, control rights and shareholding–control matching. The authors also use fixed-effects and mediation-effects models, with agency costs as the primary mechanism.

Increased nonstate shareholding ratios, stronger control rights and improved shareholding–control matching promote SOE performance. Nonstate shareholding ratios boost performance through resource effects, while control rights and shareholding–control matching promote performance by mitigating agency costs. A heterogeneity analysis indicates stronger effects in local SOEs and highly marketized regions. Moreover, control rights and shareholding–control matching reinforce the positive impact of shareholding ratios on performance.

The mixed-ownership reform of Chinese SOEs aims to optimize shareholding and control structures between state and nonstate shareholders. Therefore, research on the impact of nonstate shareholding ratios, control rights and shareholding–control matching on corporate performance is highly pertinent. However, existing studies have focused on the effects of single factors on performance, without exploration of the economic implications of shareholding–control matching. This study not only prioritizes the optimization of shareholding and control structures but also underscores the importance of granting nonstate shareholders control rights proportionate to their shareholding, providing critical evidence of the value of improving SOEs' ownership structure.

Implementing building information modeling (BIM) in construction projects offers many benefits. However, the use of BIM in project cost management is still limited. This study aims to review the current trends in the application of BIM in project cost management.

This study systematically reviews the literature on the application of BIM in project cost management. A total of 46 related articles were identified and analyzed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses method.

Eighteen approaches to applying BIM in project cost management were identified. The approaches can be grouped into cost control and cost estimation. Also, BIM can be applied independently or integrated with other techniques. The integrated approaches for cost control include integration with genetic algorithms, Monte Carlo simulation, lean construction, integrated project delivery, neural network and value engineering. On the contrary, integrated approaches for cost estimation include integration with cost-plus pricing, discrepancy analysis, construction progress curves, estimation standards, algorithms, declarative mappings, life cycle sustainability assessment, ontology, Web-based frameworks and structured query language.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to systematically review prior literature on the application of BIM in project cost management. As a result, the study provides a comprehensive understanding of the current state of the art and fills the literature gap. Researchers and industry professionals can use the study findings to increase the benefits of implementing BIM in construction projects.

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how critical realism can be mobilised as a meta-theory, or philosophical under-labourer, for research on space accounting and how this may further inquiries into the known as well as the unknown implications of space exploration and commercialisation.

This is a conceptual paper that applies critical realism to the field of space accounting using cost management in space contracts as an illustrative example.

Adopting a naturalised version of critical realism that recognises the complex interplay between natural and social realities, the author nuances the distinction between intransitive and transitive objects of knowledge and advances a framework that may be used as a starting point for a transfactual mode of reasoning. The author then applies this mode of reasoning to the topic of cost management in the space sector and illustrates how it may enhance our insights into what causes cost overruns in space contracts.

By adopting a naturalised version of critical realism, the author establishes a philosophical framework that can support the broadly based, inter-disciplinary research agenda that has been envisaged for research on space accounting and possibly inform policy development.

This paper is the first to apply a critical realist perspective to space accounting and lays a philosophical foundation for future research on the topic.

The construction industry is shifting towards becoming more circular by reducing waste, reusing building materials and embracing regenerative solutions for energy generation and biodiversity conservation. Thus, construction professionals must perform diversified services to achieve a circular built environment (CBE). Implementing resource planning and waste management in CBE has already posed challenges to the quantity surveying profession; thus, quantity surveyors (QSs) should be equipped with new roles and competencies to tackle challenges in achieving a CBE. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the functions and competencies of QSs at the design and building material sourcing stages in achieving a CBE according to 3R principles.

The research apprehended a qualitative approach, including two expert interview rounds adhering to the Delphi technique with 14 and 11 experts per each round. Manual content analysis was incorporated to analyse the collected data.

The research findings revealed the important roles and competencies of QSs in achieving a CBE. In addition, essential functions and competencies were categorised according to the 3R principles (reduce, reuse, recycle) to successfully implement CBE during the Design and Building Material Sourcing stages. According to the 3R principles of CBE, cost control, cost planning, feasibility studies, measurement and quantification, risk management, value engineering and innovations and technologies were well-received by most interviewees as essential roles of QSs during the Design and Building Material Sourcing stages. Further, basic/mandatory competencies (personal, interpersonal, professional practice and business skills), economic analysis, BIM management, cost management and risk management are highly regarded by experts for QS as important competencies to achieve CBE.

With new construction trends, QSs must enhance their conventional roles and competencies and search for new skills and competencies. Those skills and competencies could be linked to the CE concept, either directly or indirectly. Since QS holds a prominent place in sustainable construction in CBE, adapting to changes in the construction industry such as CBE is timely for QSs. Further, there is a shortage of literature regarding QSs' roles and competencies in achieving a CBE; thus, this study will contribute by identifying new avenues for QSs in achieving a CBE in the practice and the research.

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems that are equipped with numerous features and functionalities help to improve the profitability of construction corporations around the world through enhancing the efficiency of the functions related to cost management. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the applicability of ERP systems for cost management of building construction projects in Sri Lanka.

A qualitative technique was used in this study, which comprised two-round Delphi-based semistructured interviews. Purposive sampling was used to determine the interviewees. Content analysis was used to evaluate the collected data.

The findings of this study identified the ERP system as a strategic tool for gaining a competitive advantage for an organization while confirming 14 uses of ERP systems and 16 stages of the cost management process. Eighteen issues were finalized at the end of the interview rounds while categorizing the suitable ERP applications at each stage of the cost management process.

Even though there are numerous distinct studies conducted on cost management and ERP systems, there has been a lack of studies conducted on the synergy between these two areas that can be adapted for the building projects in the Sri Lankan context. Therefore, the findings of this study can bring a new paradigm to the Sri Lankan construction sector by influencing the adaption of correct ERP systems at numerous project stages by providing a competitive edge.

This study addresses the prevailing complexities and limitations in estimating and managing construction overhead costs (COCs) in the existing literature, with the purpose of enhancing the accuracy of cost performance indicators in construction project management.

An innovative approach is proposed, employing the activity-based costing (ABC) accounting method combined with building information modelling (BIM) to assign real overhead costs to project activities. This study, distinguished by its incorporation of a real case study, focuses on an administrative building with a four-story concrete structure. It establishes an automated method for evaluating project cost performance through the detailed analysis of earned value management (EVM) cost indicators derived from ABC results and BIM data.

The results show that the ABC integration improves the accuracy of cost performance indicators by over 9%, revealing the project's true cost index for the first time and demonstrating the substantial value of the approach in construction engineering and management.

The current study highlights a notable gap in the existing literature, addressing the challenges in onsite overhead cost estimation and offering a solution that incorporates the state-of-the-art techniques.

The proposed method has significant implications for project managers and practitioners, enabling better-informed decisions based on precise cost data, ultimately leading to enhanced project outcomes.

This research uniquely combines ABC and BIM, presenting a pioneering solution for the accurate estimation and management of COCs in construction projects, adding significant value to the current body of knowledge in this field.

The poor capacity of prefabricated construction cost estimation is the essential reason for the low profitability of the general contractor. Therefore, this study aims to focus on the cost estimation of prefabricated construction as the research object. This research aims to enhance the accuracy of total project cost estimation for general contractors, ultimately leading to improved profitability.

This study used Vensim PLE software to establish a system dynamics model. In the modeling process, a systematic research review was used to identify cost-influencing factors; ABC classification and the analytic hierarchy process were used to score and determine the weights of influencing factors.

The total cost error obtained by the model is less than 2% compared with the actual value. It can be used to cost estimation and analysis. The analysis results indicate that there are 7 key factors, among which the prefabrication rate has the most significant impact. Furthermore, the model can provide the extreme range cost; the minimum cost can reduce by 13% from the value in the case. The factor's value can compose a cost control strategy for general contractors.

The cost of prefabricated buildings can be estimated well, and deciding the prefabrication rate is crucial. The cost can be declined by correct cost control strategies when bidding and subcontracting are in process. The strategies can follow the direction of the model.

A systemic, quantitative and qualitative analysis of cost estimation of prefabricated buildings for general contractors has been conducted. A mathematical model has been developed and validated to facilitate more effective cost-control measures.