IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/bracre/v39y2007i3p249-264.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The implementation of Activity-Based Costing in China: An innovation action research approach

Author

Listed:
  • Liu, Lana Y.J.
  • Pan, Fei

Abstract

Research on Activity-Based Costing and its applications has mainly been focused on organisations in developed countries. Little has been learnt as to whether ABC techniques can be implemented successfully in organisations in developing countries. With the adoption of an innovation action research approach, we have successfully developed an ABC system jointly with a large Chinese manufacturing company, Xu Ji Electric Co. Ltd. (Xu Ji), for the period 2001–2005. The research provides a unique opportunity to examine some key success factors pertinent to ABC implementation within a Chinese organisational and cultural setting. The findings indicate that top management support, which has been identified as an important success factor in ABC literature, is evidently the predominant success factor in this organisation. In addition, Xu Ji's corporate culture of “top–down” instigation of the adoption of a series of management innovations (e.g., Economic-Value Added®, Balanced Scorecards and Six Sigma) and its hierarchical command and communication structure, coupled with active involvement of a high proportion of dedicated professionals, can be seen as another success factor in achieving a relatively high level of diffusion of this accounting concept within the organisation. This study also reveals a different insight of internal resistance to change, which is contrary to the evidence presented in the existing ABC literature.

Suggested Citation

  • Liu, Lana Y.J. & Pan, Fei, 2007. "The implementation of Activity-Based Costing in China: An innovation action research approach," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 39(3), pages 249-264.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:bracre:v:39:y:2007:i:3:p:249-264
    DOI: 10.1016/j.bar.2007.05.003
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0890838907000418
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.bar.2007.05.003?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Tsui, Anne S. & Wang, Hui & Xin, Katherine R., 2006. "Organizational Culture in China: An Analysis of Culture Dimensions and Culture Types," Management and Organization Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 2(3), pages 345-376, November.
    2. Gosselin, Maurice, 1997. "The effect of strategy and organizational structure on the adoption and implementation of activity-based costing," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 22(2), pages 105-122, February.
    3. Wing Thye Woo, 2006. "The Structural Nature of Internal and External Imbalances in China," Journal of Chinese Economic and Business Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 4(1), pages 1-19.
    4. Brendan Mcsweeney, 2000. "Comment: ‘Action research’: mission impossible? Commentary on ‘Towards the increased use of action research in accounting information systems’ by C. Richard Baker," Accounting Forum, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(4), pages 379-390, December.
    5. Randolph B. Cooper & Robert W. Zmud, 1990. "Information Technology Implementation Research: A Technological Diffusion Approach," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 36(2), pages 123-139, February.
    6. Colwyn Jones, T. & Dugdale, David, 2002. "The ABC bandwagon and the juggernaut of modernity," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 27(1-2), pages 121-163.
    7. Liu, Liang-Yn & Woo, Wing Thye, 1994. "Saving Behaviour under Imperfect Financial Markets and the Current Account Consequences," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 104(424), pages 512-527, May.
    8. C. Richard Baker, 2000. "Towards the Increased use of Action Research in Accounting Information Systems," Accounting Forum, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(4), pages 366-378, December.
    9. Anne S. Tsui & Hui Wang & Katherine R. Xin, 2006. "Organizational Culture in China: An Analysis of Culture Dimensions and Culture Types," Management and Organization Review, The International Association for Chinese Management Research, vol. 2(3), pages 345-376, November.
    10. Li, Wei, 1997. "The Impact of Economic Reform on the Performance of Chinese State Enterprises, 1980-1989," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 105(5), pages 1080-1106, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Trevor Hopper & Mathew Tsamenyi & Shahzad Uddin & Danture Wickramasinghe, 2009. "Management accounting in less developed countries: what is known and needs knowing," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 22(3), pages 469-514, March.
    2. Francesca Francioli & Alberto Quagli, 2021. "Management accounting change and the rise of Vespa (1884-1965)," MANAGEMENT CONTROL, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2021(suppl. 2), pages 313-338.
    3. Victor Jiménez & Paulo Afonso & Gabriela Fernandes, 2020. "Using Agile Project Management in the Design and Implementation of Activity-Based Costing Systems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-23, December.
    4. Li, Xinxiang & Soobaroyen, Teerooven, 2021. "Accounting, Ideological and Political Work and Chinese multinational operations: A neo-Gramscian perspective," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    5. Pike, Richard H. & Tayles, Mike E. & Mansor, Nur Naha Abu, 2011. "Activity-based costing user satisfaction and type of system: A research note," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 43(1), pages 65-72.
    6. Al-Sayed, Mahmoud & Dugdale, David, 2016. "Activity-based innovations in the UK manufacturing sector: Extent, adoption process patterns and contingency factors," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 48(1), pages 38-58.
    7. Marcella Bernardo & Renato da Silva Lima, 2017. "Using Action Research to Implement Selective Waste Collection Program in a Brazilian City," Systemic Practice and Action Research, Springer, vol. 30(6), pages 593-608, December.
    8. Lee, Jessica & Elbashir, Mohamed Z. & Mahama, Habib & Sutton, Steve G., 2014. "Enablers of top management team support for integrated management control systems innovations," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 15(1), pages 1-25.
    9. Kabinlapat, Panravee & Sutthachai, Siriluck, 2016. "An application of activity-based costing in the chicken processing industry: a case of joint products," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 20(1), January.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ding Yuan & Zhang Hua & Zhang Junxi, 2008. "The financial and operating performance of Chinese family-owned listed firms," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 48(3), pages 297-318, May.
    2. Al-Sayed, Mahmoud & Dugdale, David, 2016. "Activity-based innovations in the UK manufacturing sector: Extent, adoption process patterns and contingency factors," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 48(1), pages 38-58.
    3. Anne Fortin & Hamid Haffaf & Chantal Viger, 2007. "The Measurement of Success of Activity‐Based Costing and Its Determinants: A Study within Canadian Federal Government Organizations/L'évaluation Du Succès De La Comptabilité Par Activités Et Ses Déter," Accounting Perspectives, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 6(3), pages 231-262, August.
    4. Kaja Prystupa, 2017. "The Role of Organizational Culture in KnowledgeManagement in Small Companies," Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Innovation, Fundacja Upowszechniająca Wiedzę i Naukę "Cognitione", vol. 13(3), pages 151-173.
    5. Juelin Yin & Yuli Zhang, 2012. "Institutional Dynamics and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in an Emerging Country Context: Evidence from China," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 111(2), pages 301-316, December.
    6. Jiajing Sun & Michael Cole & Zhiyuan Huang & Shouyang Wang, 2019. "Chinese leadership: Provincial perspectives on promotion and performance," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 37(4), pages 750-772, June.
    7. Simon Alcouffe & Pierre Mévellec, 2012. "Analyse de la littérature sur l'ABC et proposition d'une taxinomie," Post-Print hal-00936600, HAL.
    8. Bai, Yuntao & Lin, Li & Li, Peter Ping, 2016. "How to enable employee creativity in a team context: A cross-level mediating process of transformational leadership," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(9), pages 3240-3250.
    9. Shangkun Xu & Rudai Yang, 2010. "Indigenous Characteristics of Chinese Corporate Social Responsibility Conceptual Paradigm," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 93(2), pages 321-333, May.
    10. Soda, Giuseppe & Zaheer, Akbar & Sun, Xiaoming & Cui, Wentian, 2021. "Brokerage evolution in innovation contexts: Formal structure, network neighborhoods and knowledge," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(10).
    11. Rodney Coyte & Martin Messner & Shan Zhou, 2022. "The revival of zero‐based budgeting: drivers and consequences of firm‐level adoptions," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 62(3), pages 3147-3188, September.
    12. Askarany, Davood & Yazdifar, Hassan, 2012. "An investigation into the mixed reported adoption rates for ABC: Evidence from Australia, New Zealand and the UK," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 135(1), pages 430-439.
    13. Wei Li & Jianxun Chen & Hans Hendrischke, 2017. "An Institutional Perspective on Individual Work Well-Being: Evidence from China," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 132(1), pages 187-218, May.
    14. Eric Maton & Dragos Zelinschi, 2012. "La Diffusion Des Innovations Manageriales En Controle De Gestion, Une Approche Rhetorique," Post-Print hal-00691178, HAL.
    15. Zelinschi Dragoş, 2009. "Genèse Et Évolutions D'Une Innovation : La Méthode Abc," Post-Print halshs-00460128, HAL.
    16. Maiga, Adam S., 2014. "Assessing self-selection and endogeneity issues in the relation between activity-based costing and performance," Advances in accounting, Elsevier, vol. 30(2), pages 251-262.
    17. Bhimani, Alnoor, 2003. "A study of the emergence of management accounting system ethos and its influence on perceived system success," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 28(6), pages 523-548, August.
    18. Bradley J. Koch & Pamela Tremain Koch & Yiheng Deng, 2023. "China and U.S. organizational culture via value statements: an emic-etic yin-yang approach," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 22(3), pages 1094-1130, July.
    19. Drury, Colin & Tayles, Mike, 2005. "Explicating the design of overhead absorption procedures in UK organizations," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 47-84.
    20. Grégory Wegmann, 2011. "Activity-based Management in France: A focus on the information systems department of a bank," Post-Print hal-00584770, HAL.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:bracre:v:39:y:2007:i:3:p:249-264. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/the-british-accounting-review .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.