Papers by Falconer Mitchell
Reasons for change the search for efficiency - alternative concepts, measurement of efficiency, t... more Reasons for change the search for efficiency - alternative concepts, measurement of efficiency, the relationship to cost reduction and policy implementation cost management, an activity-based methodology - the nature of activity-based costing - its use in product and service output costing, cost reduction programmes, product and service design implications, customer analysis alternative approaches to cost management - benchmarking and value chain analysis, ratio analysis, business unit charging, functional cost analysis, headcount analysis cost management - capital projects planning for cost control contract management.
Aetivity based costing systems emerged in the West during the mid 1980s in order to improve produ... more Aetivity based costing systems emerged in the West during the mid 1980s in order to improve product costing. However as activity analysis was applied to organizations it became apparent that the technique had a considerably wider potential than indicated by this single initial objective. This paper explores a number of other areas within the field of cost management to which ABC has contributed, These comprise the analysis of cost behavior, customer profitability analysis, a,ctivity cost profiling, budgeting and cost control and performance mesurement. While there is danger in viewing ABC as a panacea which will solve all costing problems at a stroke, it is an approach which offers interesting and valuable insights into how costs ca[n be effectively managed.
Without knowledge of how the management accounting (MA) discipline changes, its development canno... more Without knowledge of how the management accounting (MA) discipline changes, its development cannot be properly understood. Prior research indicates that MA has been changing and that many factors are implicated in its change. This study explores the factors which cause management accounting change in Malaysia. MA change is taken to encompass not only MA per se but also its composition as represented by the techniques, skills and roles of the management accountant. These are investigated by surveying experienced, professionally qualified management accountants working in Malaysian organisations. A range of factors were identified as significant change drivers and these differ across the three components of MA.
A Philosophy of Management Accounting, 2017
Australian Accounting Review, 2017
This paper outlines the results of an exploratory, survey-based study of the relative influence o... more This paper outlines the results of an exploratory, survey-based study of the relative influence of managers and management accountants on management accounting system (MAS) design. The findings reveal that, on average, corporate management have the stronger influence on MAS design. However, the strength of their influence does vary both across firms and the sub-areas of management accounting and, in a significant number of cases, the management accountants' influence is the greater. The results, therefore, suggest that the processes by which MASs evolve differ across firms due to the variation that exists in the influence exerted by these two parties in MAS design. This finding is significant for researchers studying change and difference in management accounting practice.
Management Accounting, Oct 1, 1998
The British Accounting Review, 2016
Abstract This paper uses institutional theory as a framework for explaining and understanding the... more Abstract This paper uses institutional theory as a framework for explaining and understanding the processes involved in the creation, use and decline of comprehensive Economic Value Added™ (EVA) based management accounting systems (MASs) in three substantial New Zealand companies. Longitudinal case studies, each extending to more than a decade through the recent financial crisis, were conducted. Qualitative data from interviews was combined with the investigation of the initial EVA philosophy, technical design (and subsequent evolution thereto) of the firms' new MASs. The result is a study which highlights and emphasises the socio-technical nature of management accounting practice. The interface between the technical accounting issues and the circumstances, beliefs and experiences of participants led to the introduction of extensive EVA-based systems, followed by significant adjustment of them and finally to their eventual abandonment. Thus, the analysis shows that, to fully understand the process of institutionalisation of management accounting, the technical characteristics of change should not be neglected but should be integrated in analysis undertaken. The factors involved in the de-institutionalisation of the above changes are also explored and presented.
British Accounting Review, 2006
Financial Management, Oct 1, 2005
Managerial Auditing Journal, 2015
Purpose– This paper aims to examine the different perspectives of auditors and non-auditors on th... more Purpose– This paper aims to examine the different perspectives of auditors and non-auditors on this question, along with the rationale and impact of these differences. Chinese company law requires an audit report on paid-up capital when business entities are newly formed or their capital altered, which raises questions regarding the liability of auditors should the business entities fail.Design/methodology/approach– Interviews and a questionnaire survey were conducted to analyse how legislation can impact on interested parties in a relatively immature audit environment. The theories of social construction of reality and symbolic interactionism are used as a basis for explaining the different conceptions of capital verification held by interested parties.Findings– There is a mismatch between the purpose of capital verification and the functions of paid-up capital. Paid-up capital is not a reliable indicator of business liquidity and creditworthiness. Auditors and non-auditors have di...
Management Buy-outs and Venture Capital
The origins of ABC planning and gathering data for ABC the accountants' use of the data manag... more The origins of ABC planning and gathering data for ABC the accountants' use of the data managerial use of ABC information conclusions
CIMA, London, 1992
Examines the actual and perceived problems of implementing ABC systems. Apart from technical and ... more Examines the actual and perceived problems of implementing ABC systems. Apart from technical and managerial problems which arise, cultural opposition to implementing change is often a major stumbling block. The conclusions are useful to those considering and those already implementing ABC.
The speech explores the operational dynamics of a PMS at the interface between a parent company a... more The speech explores the operational dynamics of a PMS at the interface between a parent company and its subsidiary. The research is based on two case studies. The companies are both subsidiaries of US multinational companies located in Italy. Both are market leaders of different sectors and governed by different strategic mentalities and managerial methodologies that reflect the specific business strategy adopted by the parent company. The methodologies of performance management in use by the two companies are addressed respectively as pragmatic constructivism and pre-categorized analytical data paradigm. Drawing on the narrative of the two cases we conclude that these two methodologies of performance management use support two alternative views of strategy: competitive advantage and resource-based view. The findings show that it is not simply the structure or technical design of a PMS that will determine its impact on an organization and ultimately its practical success but also th...
journal homepage: www.ProPraCon.com The rise of the balanced scorecard! – Relevance regained?
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Papers by Falconer Mitchell