Search results

The purpose of this study/paper is evidence to suggest that information communication technology (ICT) capital projects are different from non-ICT projects and that as a result the appraisal of such projects is more difficult. This may suggest that organisations would use dissimilar financial and risk assessment models or place different importance levels on such models between the two types of investment. The purpose of this paper is to investigate this issue and present the results of research into the practices of organisations in Czech Republic that have recently undertaken an appraisal of both ICT and non-ICT capital projects.

A factual and attitudinal survey was developed and conducted during the end of 2011, addressed to organisations based in the Czech Republic. The object of the survey was the identification of current practices in respect of the appraisal of both ICT and non-ICT projects and the opinions of senior executives on a number of important issues regarding such practices. This paper focuses on the issues relating to ICT projects being “different” from non-ICT projects.

The empirical findings support the literature in that ICT projects are, in many respects, different from non-ICT projects. However, the evidence indicates that, in practice, there is no significant difference in the financial and risk assessment models used in their appraisal. This indicates that any perceived difficulties, which may infer that the projects are “different”, are overcome (or ignored), to some extent, when it comes to the formal financial and risk assessment stage of project appraisal. There is also evidence to suggest that practitioners use assessment models that academics regard as unsophisticated. The findings also show that strategic issues are more important with respect of ICT projects than non-ICT projects. The research therefore supports the view that ICT projects are perceived to be different, but that the current conventional (financial and risk) appraisal models are adequate to appraise such capital projects, provided they are supported by a strategic assessment.

As the findings are based on a survey of companies in the Czech Republic only, we accept that the research results may have some limitations in terms of drawing general conclusions. The concern over drawing general conclusions is also brought about by the relatively low response rate, although the rate is in line with previous published research.

ICT projects are different and as such these differences must be taken into account when appraising capital projects. The evidence supports the need for practitioners to review their appraisal of ICT capital projects, by adopting more sophisticated financial and risk models (as prescribed by academics) and linking their appraisal to corporate strategic goals. Future research should be aimed at identifying the formal and informal strategic approaches adopted by practitioners in the appraisal of ICT capital projects.

This is the only survey to simultaneously address the appraisal issues concerning both ICT and non-ICT projects in the Czech Republic. As such, it gives a valuable insight into the practices of Czech Republic organisations in their appraisal of ICT and non-ICT capital projects. The identification of the four main problem areas with respect to the appraisal of ICT projects will help to focus academic research in the future.

The exploitation of new manufacturing technologies by large organisations is placing increasing pressures on the ability of SMEs to compete, since they enable large firms to compete through advantages traditionally associated with SMEs (e.g. flexibility, small production runs and specialised products). If SMEs are to maintain and improve their competitive position, a more proactive stance is required in relation to new technology investment. The identification and removal of barriers to adoption could greatly aid small firm investment in new technology. The internal investment appraisal process has been identified as one of the major barriers to the adoption of new manufacturing technologies in large firms (Price et al., 1990; Finnie, 1988). Little, however, is known about how SMEs conduct investment appraisals. Further, where SMEs seek external funds, they face additional appraisal by the funding institution. Research (Joyce et a/., 1990; Watkins and Morton, 1992) has indicated that SMEs view financing difficulties as a major barrier to investment. Given the nature of new manufacturing technologies, it is anticipated that such investments may create specific financing problems, particularly in relation to the appraisal by the financial institution. The focus of this paper, therefore, is on these two potential barriers to investment. Firstly, the paper investigates the extent to which the appraisal problems faced by large organisations are common to SMEs and establishes the extent to which the appraisal methods advocated in the literature are relevant to SMEs. Secondly, it examines external constraints on the financing of new technology investments from the firm perspective. In examining these barriers, the paper identifies the characteristics of the investment and financing decision‐making processes in SMEs. The main findings of the research project, involving case studies of 15 SMEs in the South East, are that SMEs do face problems in appraising and justifying new technology investments. However, these difficulties appear to cause fewer problems for SMEs in terms of the outcomes of the appraisal process than might be expected. Surprisingly, the financing of new technologies was not found to constitute a significant barrier to investment and few of the firms had experienced any real difficulties in raising finance for this purpose. The reasons for these apparent conditions are explored in depth and factors affecting the results are identified.

The purpose of this paper is to provide insights into recent financial analysis practice in the Chinese context. The paper aims to examine the approaches pursued and information used by Chinese financial analysts in investment appraisal of ordinary shares. The research seeks to explore influences upon analysts' decision making and how analysts perceived the Chinese investment environment.

A questionnaire based survey approach was used, conducted in 2003 with 65 Chinese financial analysts.

The findings indicate that fundamental analysis was the predominant technique adopted in appraising equities in line with the development of institutional investors and improved market efficiency. Regarding information used to analyse companies, annual reports constituted the most influential source. The Chinese analysts favoured usage of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) and International Accounting Standards (IASs) by A‐share companies. The findings indicate changes within the financial analyst community, suggesting pressure for higher quality analysis and increased use of more sophisticated techniques despite ongoing market shortcomings. Opinions vary as to how important financial analysis is in influencing stock valuation or, crucially, socio‐economic welfare. However, studies putting the analysts' role in perspective vis‐à‐vis other forces contribute to broadening understanding of this significantly under researched area. This current study contributes to filling this gap.

This paper provides insights into how specific country contexts influence financial analysts' investment appraisal practice in interims of incentives, information sources and techniques adopted.

This paper traces an eight‐year journey along a research path in identifying the need for conception, development, and pragmatic evaluation of a new capital investment appraisal model – the financial appraisal profile (FAP) model. In many cases, existing research in developing new financial models is limited to theoretical conception rather than testing of these models in the real world. This papers sets out to address that issue.

The research methodology draws heavily on philosophical pragmatism. The paper traces a clear path, starting from the firm foundation of earlier studies, questionnaire feedback from presentations of the model, and two case studies.

The three‐stage pragmatic evaluation of the FAP model establishes the support for the model in both the academic and practical world.

Although the first two stages in the evaluation of the model may be susceptible to systemic bias, the final evaluation in practical application of the model provides credible evidence for its pragmatic support.

It is hoped that this paper will encourage other researchers to be more pragmatic in their research methodology and that practitioners will find the FAP model more effective than their existing capital investment appraisal methods/procedures.

The pragmatic diversity of the research methodology presented in this paper gives management accounting researchers’ an insight into one particular researcher's approach to such a complex issue.

Numerous information system evaluation methodologies have been proposed in the literature. However, most of them suffer from a number of inherited disabilities originating in the nature of their fundamental principles as well as the nature of information systems evaluation. Uses evidence from the evaluation literature and two case studies to address the multiple dimensions for evaluation practices. We focus on the context, content and process of information systems evaluation as a source of organisational change. We found a noticeable gap between the recent theoretical work on IS evaluation and the practices within the case study organisations. This was not due to any lack of knowledge but was attributed to contextual variables such as the organisational culture and the power of important stakeholder groups.

Investment in manufacturing is important to sustained UK economic recovery, quality of life and national economic standing. Considers results from a survey of UK manufacturers on influences on capital investment, the appraisal methods used and the impact of recent changes, particularly in interest rates. Compares results with the Bank of England and CBI surveys and studies of appraisal methodology. Outcomes include the finding that UK interest rates are not seen by most manufacturers as an important influence on their investment decisions. Examines the effects of factors such as inflation, taxation and the UK and EU economic outlooks. Responses confirm near universal usage of the payback method in financial appraisals and widespread use of multiple criteria. Looks at UK investment in advanced manufacturing technology (AMT) and what allowances are made for intangible benefits. Considers a number of aspects of short‐ termism and concludes that the Cadbury recommendations are unlikely to have a major impact.

Research on the relationship between high-performance workplace practices (HPWPs) and organizational performance has largely focussed on western settings, limiting the knowledge of how these systems influence performance in other countries, including Pakistan. Universalistic assumptions underpin the HPWP paradigm; to examine the validity of these assumptions, the purpose of this paper is to study the links between HPWP and performance in Pakistan, a country with different cultural norms and institutional settings to those in which most research has been conducted.

The authors draw on a unique survey of 392 establishment managers in the banking, pharmaceutical and information technology sectors. The authors include managers of foreign-owned multinational subsidiaries and domestic firms to ensure the sample represents firms in Pakistan.

The authors find that some individual HPWPs (recruitment and training) are associated in a statistically significant way with lower labour turnover, higher productivity and higher financial performance. Employee involvement is associated with lower labour turnover and higher labour productivity. Compensation is associated with higher financial performance. None is linked to higher labour turnover, lower productivity or lower financial performance in a statistically significant way. Performance appraisal was not statistically significantly associated with any of the three outcome variables.

The results provide some relatively strong support for universalistic assumptions, but also highlight the need for future research to examine the variable links of some HPWPs and the lack of any association for the performance appraisal measure.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the current practices of large UK organisations with respect to post-audits of capital projects with the aim of improving management decision making in the future. The investment process has been clearly mapped out in the literature, with the initial project proposal, appraisal, selection (investment decision), implementation, completion, and finally the post-audit. It is this latter stage which is ignored by so many organisations and has received less attention in the academic literature, a gap the author hopes to fill.

The empirical data are collated from a postal questionnaire, semi-structured interviews, followed by a short e-mail questionnaire. A methodological triangulation of empirical data obtained from the questionnaires and interviews, were undertaken to overcome some of the deficiencies from just using one method of data collection. The research is empirical and uses exploratory descriptive analysis to interpret the findings. The author focuses on the aspect of organisational learning theory as a process of continuous improvement, learning from past experience, especially in the management decision-making paradigm.

The author discovered nine important reasons for undertaking post-audits and ten for not. An important observation is that while those organisations which do not undertake post-audits attach a greater level of importance to “the reasons for not carrying out post-audits” and “the problems faced in the implementation of post-audits”, these difficulties have been overcome by those organisations that undertake post-audits. Evidence suggests that the current change in business culture, as a result of the recent financial crisis, may be refocusing the aims of post-audits from a learning exercise to one of managerial responsibility.

The research may be limited (in forming general conclusions) as it is based on a relatively small sample size. The author does not, however, believe that this distracts from its importance.

The author argues that training the non-users to overcome the perceived difficulties would enhance the investment decision-making process by encouraging them to learn from the experience of those that undertake post-audits.

The research is original as it reports on a current survey and will fill, what the author perceives to be, a gap in the literature. The respondents to the research consists of some of the most senior executives from the largest UK organisations and their views on academic issues are, in many cases, difficult to obtain; this research therefore has value in this respect. The findings point the way to new lines of enquiry in this field.

The justification of information technology (IT) is inherently fuzzy, both in theory and practice. This is due to the largely intangible dimensions of IT projects. In view of this, this research note presents the results of ongoing research, in the application of Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping (FCM), as a tool to identify complex functional interrelationships associated with the justification of IT. This paper presents a theoretical functional model which describes these relationships and, by using an FCM, further interrelationships are developed in the context of justifying IT projects. A procedure which would address the optimisation of these intangible relationships in the form of a genetic algorithm (GA) is proposed as a process for investment justification.

Outlines the three principal types of valuation of plant and machinery – insurance, financial and open market. Discusses the techniques appropriate to each and possible future development in the field. Concludes that the demand for plant valuation services is increasing and suitably qualified students need to be persuaded to opt for what is probably the least known discipline within the profession.