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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.

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 (CFO). Post‐survey semi‐structured interviews were also conducted with eight respondents to gain further insights into the survey findings.

The survey results indicate that IFIs use MAS information that is broader in scope, more timely, more integrated and more aggregated than conventional financial institutions. The post‐survey interviews provide deeper and contextualised insights into this issue. The interview findings illustrate that IFIs normally develop and adopt an integrated accounting and enterprise system. Within this comprehensive enterprise system, the management accounting function is integrated with other functions of the organization.

Since this study was conducted in the context of Malaysian financial institutions, the results may not be generalizable to other organizations. The findings of this study highlight the importance for IFIs to have integrated enterprise systems. Besides assisting in complying with Shari'ah and regulatory requirements, the integrated systems also support better decision making.

The paper fills a gap in the literature, as very few studies have examined the issue of management accounting in financial institutions. The paper is also one of the limited studies that explore the issue of MAS in IFIs.

This paper aims to report the results of a study investigating the mediating role of managerial use of management accounting system (MAS) information in the relationship between integrated manufacturing practices (IMPs) and organisational performance (OP). IMP comprises three manufacturing practices, namely, just in time (JIT), total quality management (TQM) and advanced manufacturing technologies (AMTs).

Using a mailed questionnaire, the data were gathered from senior managers working in 110 manufacturing firms listed in the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) Directory. Partial least square (PLS) was used to analyse the data.

The results reveal that the relationship between IMP and OP exists via managerial use of MAS information, that is, adoption of IMP is positively associated with managerial use of MAS information, which in turn, is positively associated with the performance. In other words, managerial use of MAS information plays a significant role in linking adoption of IMP with OP.

The use of MAS information in integrated manufacturing environment is found to assist firms in improving performance. Prior research on the IMP–OP relationship reports mixed (inconclusive) results. The authors contend that a possible reason for such results reported in prior studies is that the studies did not investigate the relationship between OP and IMP comprising each of the three manufacturing practices and performance as proposed by Dean and Snell (1991).

This paper examines the effect of job‐relevant information on the relationship between management accounting systems (MAS) and task uncertainty affecting managerial performance. Data are obtained via survey questionnaire of a sample of 131 senior managers from manufacturing firms in Australia. The study finds a statistically significant three‐way interaction between the extent of use of broad scope MAS information, job‐relevant information and task uncertainty affecting managerial performance. More specifically, the results suggest that under low task uncertainty situations, the use of more broad scope MAS information, regardless of job‐relevant information, would potentially result in information overload, which is detrimental to managerial performance. On the other hand, the results suggest that under high task uncertainty situations, the use of more broad scope MAS information and high use of job‐relevant information for decision‐making leads to improved managerial performance.

The extant literature suggests that an increasing number of organisations are adopting manufacturing strategies such as JIT practices to continuously improve provision of products and associated services desired by customers. The authors aim to investigate the relationship between adoption (implementation) of JIT practices and organisational performance taking into account the role of market competition and managerial use of management accounting system (MAS) information.

Data for the study were collected from 92 general managers of Australian manufacturing organisations. Mailed questionnaire and personal interviews were used to collect the data.

The results reveal that market competition and managerial use of MAS (hereafter, the use of MAS) information impact the relationship between an organisation's adoption of JIT practices and its financial performance. The results reported in prior studies on the relationship are mixed; some studies report a positive relationship while others report no relationship. This study explains with empirical evidence when adoption of JIT practices provides financial benefits and when it does not.

The results are of interest to researchers and managers to understand performance implications of adoption of JIT practices and the use of MAS information. For researchers, the results make an incremental contribution to knowledge by revealing that adoption of JIT practices is beneficial in situations where it is supported by the use of MAS information in high competition market. For managers, the results highlight that an organisation will perform better in competitive market if it adopts JIT practices and its managers' information needs are met by its MAS. Specifically, the results will help managers to decide when adoption of JIT practices is beneficial, thereby help prevention of suboptimal decisions and the associated costs.

The study challenges the inconclusive results reported in previous studies on the relationship between firms' adoption of JIT practices and financial performance and offers explanations for those results. The results show that benefits from an organisation's adoption of JIT practices are not universal. Rather, the benefits occur in situations where the use of MAS information and market competition are high.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of the characteristics and roles of management accounting systems (MAS) on today’s business organizations and their management, systems, procedures, people, performance and competitive environments.

A survey-based methodology was utilized in this research to gather organizational information relevant to the different facets of the MAS and their operational and strategic practices impact on organizations operating under increasingly uncertain and competitive environments. A structural equation modeling approach was utilized to uncover relevant relationships and associations among relevant variables.

The findings of this exploratory research revealed a direct influence of MAS on the managerial and organizational performance through the managers’ performance. The results also suggest that MAS is directly influenced by users’ training, and satisfaction, task uncertainty and decentralization of decisions. It was also indirectly influenced by top management support. In addition, the findings also revealed a direct influence of the decentralization of decisions on the managers’ and on organizational performance.

While this study addressed important issues that have practical management value, it is limited to a sample from one country. Future studies in different businesses and cultural settings are needed to enhance the theoretical and practical contributions of the findings and conclusions of this study.

The issues explored in this study are very much relevant to the utilization and design of MAS and their increasing tactical and strategic roles in the management of today’s business organizations. The findings of this study have relevant practical value for managers as they attempt to cope with increasingly competitive environments through the deployment of their existing capabilities and best practices. In this context, the accounting management system has practical utilities that facilitate the control and management of the operations and strategies of the organization.

This research offers practicing management an integrated approach, as they aspire to utilize their organizational MAS to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of their organizations. Integrating the different aspects of management accounting information systems, given their impact on the different aspects of the organization, is needed for the establishment of theoretical research models aiming at the enhancement of the competitive performance of today’s organizations. This study also offers to executives of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) a new multidimensional instrument for assessing the effectiveness of their management information systems, which can help to improve their benchmarking processes.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate user versus provider perceptions of management accounting system (MAS) services using the DeLone and McLean information system success model and the theoretical lens of social perception theory.

Quantitative survey data were collected and analyzed using ordinal regression. Qualitative interview data concerning user‐provider perceptions of MAS service information quality, importance, use, and satisfaction were utilized to corroborate and explain the data analysis.

The results suggest that there are significant perceptual differences about MAS service quality by users versus providers. For this organization, the paper identifies what these differences are, why they exist, and how organizations may identify and narrow identified gaps.

The paper is based on a case study that may not be generalizable to broader populations. It uses a cross‐sectional, correlational, self‐report survey, therefore is unable to make causal or directional inferences. Future research should assess MAS services in different organizations, industries, and cultures.

The paper is among the first to provide quantitative and qualitative evidence of perceived differences in accounting service quality, approaches to uncovering sources of differences, and steps that organizations may take to improve service quality.

This paper is the first to apply the DeLone and McLean information system success model in the context of MAS service quality. The paper examines perceptions of MAS providers and users to evaluate services and investigates perceptual differences across functions and at different organizational levels.

The purpose of this paper is to provide empirical evidence concerning: the relationships between decentralization, perceived environmental uncertainty, and management accounting systems (MAS) information and the relationships between MAS information and managerial performance within Egyptian hospitals.

Data were collected using questionnaires that were sent personally to the managers or heads of departments of Egyptian hospitals. Departmental level was used as the unit of analysis. Data obtained from 200 hospital managers were analyzed using partial least squares.

The study reveals that decentralization and environmental uncertainty, to some extent, are essential factors in designing efficient and effective MAS. Hospitals with decentralized structure make better use of timely, aggregated and integrated MAS information. Environment in which the hospitals operate does have significant influence on the type of information provided by the MAS.

Using personally administered questionnaires causes the sample to be rather limited and not comprehensive enough.

The current study offers the hospital managers some useful aspects related to the function of MAS information that can be used to enhance their managerial performance. The provision of broad-scope and timeliness of MAS information can facilitate more effective managerial decisions. MAS designers and Egyptian policy makers should emphasize on decentralized decision-making by delegating sufficient authority to lower level managers as much as possible.

This study is one of the few studies done in Africa in the field of MAS, particularly in the context of Egyptian hospitals.

Based on the contingency theory and resource-based view, this study develops and tests a moderated mediation model explaining the performance implications of the interaction between the accountants’ participation in strategic decision-making (APAR) and accounting capacity (ACAP) in promoting the use of management accounting systems (MAS) toward enhancing firm performance.

Using partial least squares structural equation modeling, the authors tested the proposed model and its hypotheses with survey data from 340 large Vietnamese firms.

The results indicate that (1) MAS act as the full mediator in the positive relationship between APAR and firm performance, and (2) ACAP positively moderates the effect of APAR on the use of MAS.

This study bridges the gap between accounting and strategic management literature by elucidating the mechanism by which the involvement of accountants in strategic issues improves the use of MAS toward enhancing firm performance and increases the current understanding of ACAP as a boundary condition for this mechanism.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of management accounting systems (MAS) in the development of intellectual capital (IC) – i.e. human capital (HC), structural capital (SC) and relational capital (RC) – and the resultant effects on organizational performance.

A questionnaire was developed to conduct a survey of high-level managers of Portuguese companies. The data collected were analyzed through the use of structural equation modeling with AMOS.

Statistical support was found for six out of nine hypothesized relationships. The findings confirm the role of MAS in the development of HC and SC. Results also showed positive and statistically significant relationships between the three dimensions of IC, in line with previous research. Finally, results indicated that SC has a positive and significant link with organizational performance, in keeping with some research.

The estimation procedure allowed only a partial validation of the proposed model because, although positive, the relationships between MAS and RC, between HC and performance and between RC and organizational performance were not statistically significant.

The study highlights the role of MAS as information networks that collect, process and communicate information that influences the development of IC, as well as networks of relationships that support the establishment of conditions for the creation and integration of organizational knowledge and the development of IC.

In this research, an arguably more complete framework of the relations between MAS, IC and performance is developed and empirically tested. Despite the existence of some literature addressing the relationship between MAS and IC, this is the first study, of which authors are aware, that focuses specifically on the relationships between MAS and the three dimensions of IC (HC, SC and RC), as well as their effects on organizational performance.

The purpose of this paper, as an empirical investigation of a contingency theory, is to examine the relationship between technology (as a contingent variable) and management accounting system (MAS) characteristics on managerial performance. The main focus of this study is on the four information characteristics of MAS – scope, integration, aggregation and timeliness.

Based on the MAS characteristics defined by Chenhall and Morris, a contingency-based “intervening” model is proposed in which MAS plays a significant intervening role between technology (TECH) and managerial performance. Using survey data from managers in Iranian financial organizations and PLS–structural equation model analysis, the MAS characteristics are collectively analyzed in relation to technology and managerial performance.

The study uncovered the existence of direct relationships between technology and MAS, and between MAS and managerial performance. The study also confirmed that the relationship between technology and managerial performance is mediated by MAS. The findings provide valuable insight to guide managers in financial organizations to improve their performance through suitable MAS by applying new technologies and considering internal and environmental factors. Recommendations on how to improve MAS and managerial performance are provided accordingly.

Previous research studies show that there is no unique and universal MAS for all organizations, since this depends on internal firm characteristics and environmental features. However, there has been a lack of empirical evidence on MAS research studies in the service organizations.