Search results

This study investigates the relationship between lean manufacturing practices, management accounting and performance measurement (MAC & PM) practices, organizational strategy, structure, and culture, and facility performance. We extended past research by examining the relationships between lean manufacturing, MAC & PM practices and performance in a broader organizational context. Our study was performed using survey data provided by managers and executives at 368 facilities that had contacted the Shingo Institute for information or that had entered a Shingo Prize competition. Consistent with past research we found a significant positive association between lean manufacturing practices and lean MAC & PM practices. We found that greater employee empowerment, use of process performance measures, and use of lean accounting practices were driven primarily by lean strategy and secondarily by the extent of lean manufacturing practices. We also found that changes in organization structure to support lean are driven primarily by lean strategy and secondarily by lean manufacturing practices. Change toward lean culture, on the other hand, is driven by the extent of lean manufacturing practices. Further, we found that emphasizing process performance measures does not reduce emphasis on results performance measures and emphasizing results performance measures leads to improved financial performance. Process and results measures are being used in tandem and value stream costing has not replaced traditional accounting. The results of our study provide important insights for managers of companies engaged in lean transformation and for academics who teach or research lean accounting.

We examine changes in controlling shareholder holdings, looking for evidence of financial tunneling (unfair wealth transfers from public investors to controlling shareholders). Our sample comprises yearly data during 2000–2011 on 75 large Israeli companies. We find that controlling shareholders are successful in timing the stock market – there exists a significant negative correlation between changes in the mean controlling shareholders’ equity holdings and market return. There is also some evidence that controlling shareholders increase (decrease) their holdings before years of positive (negative) excess returns in their shares. However, statistically significant mean excess returns are documented only after decreases in controlling shareholders’ holdings. Thus, we offer only limited support for the financial tunneling hypothesis.

With the growth of municipal capitalism, both local governments (LGs) and their related entities are involved in debates about public sector financial debts. This chapter seeks a deeper understanding of the relevance of measuring liabilities through the consolidated financial statements (CFS). With regard to a sample of Italian LGs, the analysis show that debts calculated with reference to the CFSs is statistically different from that derived from the analysis of the separate financial statements (SFS). The authors also conclude that the differences are largely due to the impact of non-controlled entities, which are proportionately consolidated. The analysis of this study is limited to considering the impact of debt and does not take into account other financial or non-financial variables. The usefulness of CFSs must also be evaluated with reference to these elements.

Purpose – This study examines the effectiveness of internal control systems of listed firms in Ghana. The recent (especially international) financial reporting scandals have caused regulators to place a lot of attention on internal control systems as a mechanism that could help improve the quality of financial reporting.

Design/methodology/approach – The study examined annual reports of a sample of 33 firms listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange. In measuring the level of internal control effectiveness, 23 items relating to internal control categorised under control environment, information and communication, risk assessment, control activities and monitoring were operationalised and the effectiveness score was determined based on the items.

Findings – Overall internal control system showed an average level of effectiveness in this study, which implied an overall low level of effectiveness. Of the five categories assessed under internal control system, control environment showed a higher level of effectiveness.

Originality/value – The study makes a contribution to the academic research activities relating to internal controls in Ghana.

Limitations – Inherent in the measurement process is an element of estimation error as a result of the use of subjective judgement for some items operationalised in assessing internal control effectiveness.

The authors evaluate financial stability and capital flows management objectives of capital controls in the context of four capital control events: removing or imposing controls on capital inflows and removing or imposing controls on capital outflows. The authors use synthetic control method to solve the endogeneity problem stemmed from the timing of capital control implementation. The authors find new evidence that capital controls are not consistently effective in reaching financial stability outcomes but are consistent in reaching capital flows management outcomes. The authors compare our results to estimates using difference-in-difference (DID) and carry out placebo analysis. Finally, we use synthetic DID to correct for the parallel trend bias and show that the results still hold.

The essential investments in new product development (NPD) made by industrial companies entail effective management of NPD activities. In this context, performance measurement is one of the means that can be employed in the pursuit of effectiveness.

The budget has traditionally been viewed as playing an essential role in management control. However, recently it has become the subject of intense critique. The critiques concern the way budgets are used as well as the fundamental drawbacks of the budgeting process. At the same time, a number of studies provided evidence that budgets are still being used in most organizations. Responding to the call for more examination of these issues against empirical evidence, this chapter studies contemporary budgeting practices in the case of a Russian oil company.

The chapter is heavily based on primary data collected from the interviews with company representatives. Secondary data collected from public sources was used as well. The empirical description is organized around a monthly budgeting process adopted in one subsidiary of the case company. The description is presented from the perspective of the financial department of the subsidiary company.

The study concludes that, in spite of all the critiques, budgeting is widely used in the Russian oil company. It is extensively used for control purposes, and the main focus of budgetary control is put on a transactional level.

The chapter traces the budgeting process currently adopted in one of the Russian oil corporations. This contributes to research evidence on Russian companies, an area which has previously received little attention from researchers and provides evidence supporting the view of budgeting as continuing to play an important role in many organizations.

New Zealand is widely recognised as extreme in its New Public Financial Management reforms. Scrutiny of the reformed financial management system reveals its consistency with a controversial political agenda: trade liberalisation of even core social services such as social welfare, health and education. Further, the detailed requirements are systematically biased towards withdrawing from government services (by running them down) and/or privatising them (by artificially inflating reported costs, thus projecting an appearance of inefficiency). The legislation underpinning the New Zealand model was shepherded through parliament by a Minister of Finance who publicly opposed exposing social services to market forces. Drawing on archival records, this article provides a historical account of how this legislation came into being. The legislation handed key levers of power to extend the reforms to the Treasury. Particular attention is paid to the friction within the government of the time over extending the reforms to social policy, and the role of the Treasury. Possibly, some ministers who drove the reforms through did not appreciate their nature. Alternatively, the handover of the levers of power could be perceived as an attempt to avoid blame.