Data analytics by management accountants

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary Spraakman ◽  
Cristobal Sanchez-Rodriguez ◽  
Carol Anne Tuck-Riggs
Keyword(s):  
Data Analytics ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Management Accounting ◽  
Content Type ◽  
External Data ◽  
South Central ◽  
Management Accountants ◽  
Central Canada ◽  
Financial Data Analysis ◽  
Rich Data

Purpose This paper aims to understand how the tasks of management accountants (MA) are affected by data analytics (DA). Design/methodology/approach A qualitative methodology was deemed most appropriate given the exploratory nature of the research questions (RQ). In total, 10 open-ended interview questions were used to gather the evidence. The case study design was inductive, yielding rich data from 29 respondents representing 20 different organizations. Findings Answers were provided to three interrelated RQs about the use of DA by MA, namely, what are their responsibilities? How does this work support inference, prediction and assurance? And how can they ensure insights from DA can be turned into decisions that add value? The findings also indicate that MA have not taken charge of the data analytic opportunities and at present, their activities remain largely focused on descriptive and financial data analysis rather than more complex activities using external data, operational data and modeling. Research limitations/implications The limitation of this research is that it is based on a relatively small, geographically restricted sample (20 organizations in south-central Canada) as well by interviews that were only 60 min in duration. Practical implications Provides a base for the existing practice of management accounting with DA. Social implications Explains the social relationship between DA and management accounting. Originality/value Documented and explained the extent of actual DA use by MA.

DRG-based payment system and management accounting changes in an Indonesian public hospital: exploring potential roles of big data analytics

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Heru Fahlevi ◽  
Irsyadillah Irsyadillah ◽  
Mirna Indriani ◽  
Rina Suryani Oktari
Keyword(s):  
Big Data ◽  
Mathematical Models ◽  
Data Analytics ◽  
Public Hospital ◽  
Cost Control ◽  
Management Accounting ◽  
Big Data Analytics ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Patient Costs ◽  
Accounting Changes

Purpose This study aims to provide insights into management accounting changes (MACs) and potential roles of big data analytics (BDA) in accelerating the MACs in an Indonesian public hospital as a response towards the adoption of the diagnosis-related groups (DRG)-based payment system. Design/methodology/approach A mixed-method approach was used to collect and analyse data from a referral public hospital in Indonesia. First, a BDA simulation was carried out to reveal its usefulness in predicting and evaluating patient costs, and finally improving the cost recovery rate (CRR) of each DRG case. This part formulated and tested the mathematical models that predict patient cost, the CRR and determinants (length of stay/LOS, severity/SEV, patient age/AGE and gender/SEX). For this purpose, data of the top ten inpatient cases of 2018 were collected and analysed. Second, semi-structured interviews with senior staff and doctors were carried out to understand cost control strategies implemented in the hospital and the management and doctors’ perceptions regarding the application of tested mathematical models for cost control. Old institutional economics and new institutional sociology were used to gain insight about how and why management accounting practices changed in the hospital. Findings The findings show that the absence of detailed per-case/patient cost information has not only hindered further evolvement of MACs but also stimulate tensions between managerial and medical worlds in the studied Indonesian public hospital. The simulation of BDA in this study was not only discovering the determinants of case cost recovery but also enabling the prediction of CRR of patients immediately after admission. The application of BDA and casemix accounting in the hospital will potentially become catalysts of discussion and mutual learning between managerial and medical staff in controlling patient costs. Originality/value This paper provides a more comprehensive picture of the potential roles of BDA in cost control practices. The study assesses the feasibility of BDA application in the hospital and evaluates the potential roles and acceptance of BDA application by both management and doctors.

Educating management accountants as business partners

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 517-541
Author(s):  
Morten Jakobsen ◽  
Falconer Mitchell ◽  
Hanne Nørreklit ◽  
Mihaela Trenca
Keyword(s):  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Management Accounting ◽  
Accounting Education ◽  
Business Practices ◽  
Business Partner ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Business Partners ◽  
Pragmatic Constructivism ◽  
Ability To Act ◽  
Management Accountants

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate a paradigmatic foundation for educators to prepare students of management accounting for the new demands of the role of trusted business partner in practice. Design/methodology/approach The paper argues for the use of pragmatic constructivism as a basis for development of a paradigmatic foundation for educating advanced students of management accounting. Furthermore, it contains an empirical insight through a case example of how pragmatic constructivism can be used as a pedagogical tool in different management accounting educational situations. Findings The analysis shows how pragmatic constructivism can be used as a less reductionist paradigm than realism to tackle the research-teaching-practice deficiencies found in conventional thinking on accounting education. Pragmatic constructivism is shown to provide important methodological and conceptual elements in developing, understanding and guiding the application of management accounting techniques in dynamic business practices. Placing an emphasis on teaching methodological skills relevant for management accountants is shown to have an important impact on students and their ability to act as business partners. Research limitations/implications The analysis is exploratory in the sense that a new paradigmatic framework for educating students of management accounting to be business partners is outlined and illustrated through its implementation in a specific master’s degree programme. However, this analysis should be viewed as only a first step towards developing pragmatic constructivism as a paradigmatic foundation for teaching management accounting as a basis for a business partner role. Originality/value The proposed use of research on pragmatic constructivism as a basis for management accounting education to support a future business partner role is novel in the literature on management accounting. The value of its application lies in its potential to create successful utilisation of the practices of management accounting.

scholarly journals Cost consciousness: conceptual development from a management accounting perspective

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Santiago Velasquez ◽  
Petri Suomala ◽  
Marko Järvenpää
Keyword(s):  
Control Systems ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Conceptual Development ◽  
Management Accounting ◽  
Management Control ◽  
Management Control Systems ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Management Accountants ◽  
The Common ◽  
The Cost

Purpose – This paper aims to take note of the need to better understand cost consciousness from a management accounting perspective and serves as an exploratory study striving to analyze how the notion has been addressed by management accounting scholars. Design/methodology/approach – This paper presents the findings of a thorough literature review identifying the drivers, interpretations, definitions and results which management accounting scholars have associated with cost consciousness. Findings – This paper has synthesized the definitions and interpretations by considering their conceptual broadness and the subjects that cost consciousness characterizes. In addition, various potential drivers of cost consciousness have been identified where management control systems play a major role. Also, this paper summarizes both the positive and negative outcomes which scholars seem to expect from an increase of cost consciousness. Research limitations/implications – Given that no prior work has focused on the conceptual development of cost consciousness, it was necessary to infer most of the interpretations, drivers and results which management accounting scholars have associated to the cost consciousness notion. Originality/value – Cost consciousness is a concept that appears in hundreds of peer-reviewed articles on management accounting. However, only a handful of management accounting scholars have defined or evaluated this concept to a certain degree. As a result, what management accountants believe cost consciousness to be, how it is driven and what result may be expected from it, is nowhere to be found in any synthesized manner. The findings of this paper develop the concept of cost consciousness by illuminating the common use of the construct across various disciplines.

The development of self-efficacy and self-leadership within USA accredited sales programs: an exploratory study on sales career preparedness

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Knight ◽  
Karen Peesker ◽  
Claudia C. Mich
Keyword(s):  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Career Readiness ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Education Experience ◽  
Recent Graduates ◽  
Rich Data ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe purpose of this exploratory study is to investigate the impact of sales education on recent graduates' career preparedness and understand how sales programs might prepare students better for successful sales careers. We investigate the known competencies leading to sales success that were, or were not, adequately developed by their university sales programs.Design/methodology/approachThe authors collected and analyzed qualitative data from in-depth interviews with a sample of 20 recent university sales graduates working in a sales career. Over 23 h of interviews were transcribed and analyzed via NVivo. Braun and Clarke’s (2006) framework was applied in this study to code the data.FindingsThe study identifies that while respondents are positive about their overall sales education and feel confident about their knowledge of the sales process, they are not always confident in their ability to deal with ambiguity and the unknown. This study revealed that constructs of self-leadership and career choice self-efficacy deserve further consideration as components of the university sales program curriculum.Research limitations/implicationsAs with all exploratory research, there are limits to generalizability; however, this study revealed that the constructs of goal setting, self-leadership and self-knowledge hold promise for further study as a means to increase sales-related self-efficacy and career readiness.Practical implicationsRespondents were positive about their overall sales education experience but identified a need for more effective sales education in cold calling, prospecting and the inherent level of rejection to be prepared for inside sales positions in which sales graduates increasingly start their careers.Social implicationsLower turnover and better educational preparedness of sales program graduates clearly will accrue socioeconomic benefits.Originality/valueThis is the first study to examine the impact of sales education on recent graduates’ career preparedness and the first study for this journal to focus on sales as an area of professional competency and related sales pedagogy. Further, the qualitative methodology, which is relatively unique in sales research, provides rich data that is particularly useful for exploratory research to help provide a structure for universities to strengthen their sales programs through targeted training to help students enhance self-leadership and career preparedness.

Enabling factors that contribute to women reaching leadership positions in business organizations

2017 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 165-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rusmir Cimirotić ◽  
Verena Duller ◽  
Birgit Feldbauer-Durstmüller ◽  
Bernhard Gärtner ◽  
Martin R.W. Hiebl
Keyword(s):  
Service Sector ◽  
Management Accounting ◽  
Leadership Position ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Leadership Positions ◽  
Female Executives ◽  
Enabling Factors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Management Accountants ◽  
Underrepresentation Of Women

Purpose Although the number of women working in management accounting has increased, the percentage of female executives in this area remains low. Previous studies examining the underrepresentation of women in accounting leadership positions have analyzed factors that hinder women from reaching these positions. The purpose of this paper, by contrast, is to identify factors that support the advancement of those female executives who have reached a leadership position. Further, this paper highlights the self-reported obstacles and difficulties faced by respondents in reaching their current positions. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were conducted face-to-face with ten female executives in the management accounting departments of Austrian firms. The interview transcripts were analyzed by using the general inductive approach. Findings The results of the study show that most women classified their social skills and professional expertise as the key factors leading to their successful advancement; however, they also highlighted that ambition and luck played important roles. The authors found that support from both life partners and superiors was essential for these women in reaching their current positions and in handling difficulties when in a leadership position. Further difficulties include working time, work-life balance and motherhood. Research limitations/implications As the findings are based on interviews conducted with female Austrian executives in large (more than 250 employees) manufacturing- or service-sector firms, they are not readily generalizable. Practical implications This study identifies factors that may help prospective female management accounting executives reach leadership positions. Furthermore, less senior female management accountants may learn from this paper that women who have already reached leadership positions in management accounting may have had to cope with problems similar to those that younger and less senior female management accountants currently experience. Originality/value This paper is among the first to address gender in the field of management accounting.

scholarly journals Complex Population Structure of Borrelia burgdorferi in Southeastern and South Central Canada as Revealed by Phylogeographic Analysis

2014 ◽  
Vol 81 (4) ◽  
pp. 1309-1318 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Mechai ◽  
G. Margos ◽  
E. J. Feil ◽  
L. R. Lindsay ◽  
N. H. Ogden
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Borrelia Burgdorferi ◽  
Ixodes Scapularis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Sensu Stricto ◽  
Content Type ◽  
South Central ◽  
Central Canada ◽  
Complex Population ◽  
Reservoir Hosts

ABSTRACTLyme disease, caused by the bacteriumBorrelia burgdorferisensu stricto, is an emerging zoonotic disease in Canada and is vectored by the blacklegged tick,Ixodes scapularis. Here we used Bayesian analyses of sequence types (STs), determined by multilocus sequence typing (MLST), to investigate the phylogeography ofB. burgdorferipopulations in southern Canada and the United States by analyzing MLST data from 564B. burgdorferi-positive samples collected during surveillance. A total of 107 Canadian samples from field sites were characterized as part of this study, and these data were combined with existing MLST data for samples from the United States and Canada. Only 17% of STs were common between both countries, while 49% occurred only in the United States, and 34% occurred only in Canada. However, STs in southeastern Ontario and southwestern Quebec were typically identical to those in the northeastern United States, suggesting a recent introduction into this region from the United States. In contrast, STs in other locations in Canada (the Maritimes; Long Point, Ontario; and southeastern Manitoba) were frequently unique to those locations but were putative descendants of STs previously found in the United States. The picture in Canada is consistent with relatively recent introductions from multiple refugial populations in the United States. These data thus point to a geographic pattern of populations ofB. burgdorferiin North America that may be more complex than simply comprising northeastern, midwestern, and Californian groups. We speculate that this reflects the complex ecology and spatial distribution of key reservoir hosts.

Economic crisis as a driver of management accounting change

2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 123-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christoph Endenich
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Economic Crisis ◽  
Management Accounting ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Management Accountants ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Statistical Sense

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate change processes within German and Spanish management accounting which are induced by the recent economic crisis. To illuminate these changes, a particular emphasis is put on budgeting processes and the role of management accountants. Design/methodology/approach – A cross-sectional field study that mainly builds on interviews with senior management accounting executives in nine German and nine Spanish companies was conducted. The German and Spanish companies were matched in terms of industry and size to assure comparability of the two national samples. Findings – The most recent economic crisis represents a crucial driver of management accounting change in the companies comprising my sample. Whereas budgeting is increasingly performed continuously, the empirical evidence suggests that opportunities are continually evolving that might result in a more powerful position of management accountants within corporate decision-making processes and an improved image of management accountants. Research limitations/implications – The findings of this study should not be generalised in a statistical sense. However, the results may be used as the basis for qualitative and quantitative follow-up studies. Practical implications – The paper provides several examples which demonstrate, that management accountants can improve their image and their influence on corporate decision making in times of economic crisis. Originality/value – This paper contributes to the literature by providing both theoretical refinement of and empirical evidence on propositions on the influence of the economic crisis on management accounting.

Developing a supportive learning environment in a newly formed organisation

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 442-456 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sue Lancaster ◽  
Lee Di Milia
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Development ◽  
Learning Environment ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Open Communication ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Rich Data ◽  
Qualitative Phenomenological ◽  
Supportive Learning Environment

Purpose – The aim of this study was to examine the factors that employees perceived were important in creating a supportive learning environment in a recently merged organisation. The study provides rich qualitative data from the employees’ perspective. Design/methodology/approach – This case study used a qualitative phenomenological constructivist approach. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed with the aid of NVivo. The study was conducted in a large government-owned organisation in Australia and the sample consisted of 24 recent graduates of leadership development programs. Findings – The results suggested that together with the organisation’s leadership, there are several distinguishing characteristics of a learning environment. These include learning with colleagues, openness to new ideas and change, building relationships, open communication, sharing the learning, coaching and reflection. Providing support for managers to gain confidence and self-awareness was important to their ability to apply their learning. The results also suggest that learning with colleagues from different regional and functional areas helps to reform subcultures and contributes to an overarching learning culture and hence to creating a supportive learning environment. Some hindrances were also discovered. Originality/value – This study gives voice to employee perceptions of the important factors required to create a supportive learning environment. The authors used a qualitative methodology in a field dominated by quantitative studies to provide rich data that extends the extant literature.

scholarly journals An ecosystems analysis of how sales managers develop salespeople

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen M. Peesker ◽  
Lynette J. Ryals ◽  
Gregory A. Rich ◽  
Lenita Davis
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Coding System ◽  
Sales Managers ◽  
Leader Behaviors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Targeted Interventions ◽  
Sales Organizations ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Rich Data

Purpose The purpose of this study is to identify and explain how leadership behaviors of sales managers can enhance the development of salespeople within the context of those interpersonal connections and interactions that is the sales ecosystem. Design/methodology/approach The authors collected and analyzed qualitative data from in-depth interviews with a sample of 36 sales professionals. Over 47 hours of interviews were transcribed and analyzed via NVivo. The statements were labeled as particular leader behaviors using the Miles and Huberman (1994) coding system. Findings The study identifies coaching, customer engaging, collaborating and championing as the four key leader behaviors that are relevant to the sales ecosystem. Specifically, coaching and customer engaging enhance the individual microsystems of salespeople; and collaborating and championing enhance the corresponding mesosystems. Analysis of the interview statements further revealed that trust, confidence, optimism and resilience are four relational elements that tend to coexist with these leader behaviors in the sales ecosystem. Practical implications This study provides a structure for sales organizations to strengthen their sales ecosystem through targeted interventions and training for those that manage salespeople. Past research finds that sales organizations too often neglect this type of managerial training. Originality/value This is the first study to examine sales leadership through the lens of Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) ecological systems theory. Further, the qualitative methodology, which is relatively unique in sales research, provides rich data that is particularly useful for exploring how and why things have happened.

Harmonizing management accounting in international subsidiaries: beyond national borders

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christoph Endenich ◽  
Andreas Hoffjan ◽  
Teresa Schlichting ◽  
Rouven Trapp
Keyword(s):  
Field Study ◽  
International Business ◽  
Management Accounting ◽  
Multinational Companies ◽  
Strategy Implementation ◽  
Accounting Systems ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Business Units ◽  
Management Accounting Systems ◽  
Management Accountants

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to explore if and how companies strive for a harmonization of management accounting systems in their international business units to support company-wide consistent strategy implementation and to analyze the underlying drivers and pitfalls. Our paper is motivated by the tension between the need for consistent strategy implementation in the different international business units of multinational companies and the traditional differences in management accounting practices across countries. Design/methodology/approach – The field study comprised semi-structured in-depth interviews with management accounting experts in selected German and Spanish business units of 15 major German multinational companies. Findings – The authors identified strong efforts for company-wide harmonization of management accounting practices and found that beside explicit initiatives set by corporate headquarters, more implicit pressures such as the education of management accountants, the work of global consultancies and the use of standardized ERP-systems constitute strong drivers of the identified harmonization. Practical implications – The findings highlight implicit pressures as important drivers of the harmonization of management accounting systems in the international business units of multinational companies. Taking these implicit pressures into consideration can help multinational companies striving for a harmonization of business unit management accounting for consistent strategy implementation. Originality/value – Building on a unique sample of pairs of German and Spanish business units of 15 major German companies, the field study explores harmonization practices and its drivers in multinational companies.

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